.....#.##.                                          ##.#.##.#.
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...#..##.#                                          #...##..#.
..##.#.###                                          #..#.#.##.
.#.####...                                          #.#####.#.
###...#..#             #...========...#             ##....###.
..#..##.##     ####.== FERMI'S PARADOX ==.####      .#...#..##
.##.#.##..             #...========...#             ##..##.#.#
#.####.#.#                                          .#.#.#####
##...####. ON  EARTH (THE PLANET  WHERE I  LIVE)  A #####.....
.#..#...#. LOT  OF US  HAVE ANTENNAS  ON OUR HOUSES ....#....#
##.##..### OR  BALCONIES,  WE   HAVE  BUILT   LARGE ...##...##
.##.#.#..# ANTENNAS  FOR  LARGER BANDWITH, WE  HAVE ..#.#..#..
#.#####.##      BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR     .####.##..
##....##.#    SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM   #...##.#.#
.#...#.### INTO  ORBIT), WE'VE  BUILT LARGE AS FUCK #..#.####.
##..###..#              ANTENNA ARRAYS              #.###...#.
.#.#..#.## WE'VE  VIRTUALLY BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A ##..#..###
####.###.#          DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH.         .#.##.#..#
...##..##.                                          ###.###.#.
..#.#.#.#. WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT OUR  POSITION IN THE ..##..###.
.########.      SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS     .#.#.#..#.
#.......## PLACEMENT  IN   THE   GALAXY,  AND   OUR ######.##.
#......#.. GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL  CLUSTER, .....##.##
#.....##.# AND =OUR= LOCAL CLUSTERS  PLACE  IN  THE ....#.##..
#....#.###          GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS          ...###.#.#
#...###..#                                          ..#..####.
#..#..#.#. AND  WE'RE  MOVING  AROUND  THE  SUN  AT .##.#...##
#.##.##### VELOCITY AND  THE SUNS MOVING AROUND THE #.###..#..
##.##....# CENTER  OF  THE  GALAXY AT  VELOCITY AND ##..#.##.#
.##.#...#. THE GALAXY  IS  MOVING  TOWARD ANDROMEDA .#.###.##.
#.###..##.   AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE    ###..##.#.
##..#.#.## AROUND THE  GALAXY. AND WE  AS A SPECIES ..#.#.####
.#.#####.. HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT .#####....
###....#..                                          #....#....
..#...##.# AND  DESPITE  ALL  THIS, DESPITE ALL OUR #...##...#
.##..#.##.   (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR    #..#.#..##
#.#.###.#. RADIO  PROGRAMMES  OUT  IN FUCKING SPACE #.####.#.#
####..###. AT  THE  SPEED OF  LIGHT (LIGHT  IS  OUR ##...####.
...#.#..## MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!),  .#..#...##
..####.#.#      DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE      ##.##..#.#
.#...#####     COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS     .##.#.####
##..#.....    FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS   #.####...#
.#.##..... BEAMING  OF  ALL  OUR  SECRETS  IN EVERY ##...#..#.
###.#....#          DIRECTION KNOWN TO US,          .#..##.##.
..###...##                                          ##.#.##.##
.#..#..#.# NO    .   ONE   .    HAS   .    ANSWERED .####.##.#
##.##.####                                          #...##.###
.##.##...#             #...========...#             #..#.##...
#.##.#..#.      ####.== FERMI'S PARADOX ==.####     #.###.#...
##.###.###             #...========...#             ##..###..#
.##..##..#                                          .#.#..#.#.
#.#.#.#.##             SO WHY IS THAT?              ####.####.
########.#                                          ...##...##
.......### MOST  OPPONENTS  TO  INTELLIGENT LIFE IN ..#.#..#..
......#... THE UNIVERSE SAY  IT'S  BECAUSE YOU NEED .####.##..
.....##... A  CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER  STAR  AND THE #...##.#..
....#.#... PLANET  NEEDS  TO  BE  AT  A  SEE-AND-SO #..#.###..
...####..# DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE STAR (LIKE  THERE #.###..#..
..#...#.##           HAS TO BE A PLANET!)           ##..#.##..
.##..###.#                                          .#.###.#..
#.#.#..### BUT   REALLY  ISN'T  THAT  KEEPING   THE ###..###..
#####.#..#      DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX?      ..#.#..#.#
....###.##                                          .####.###.
...#..##.# I THINK  EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO #...##..#.
..##.#.### IDEA WHAT  WE'RE DOING (AND IT  PROBABLY #..#.#.##.
.#.####...                  SHOWS)                  #.#####.#.
###...#..#                                          ##....###.
..#..##.##             #...========...#             .#...#..##
.##.#.##..     ####.== FERMI'S PARADOX ==.####      ##..##.#.#
#.####.#.#             #...========...#             .#.#.#####
##...####.                                          #####.....
.#..#...#. I'M  GONNA GO  SMOKE MY  THIRD CIGARETTE ....#....#
##.##..### THIS YEAR  AND TRY  TO SNATCH SOME BEERS ...##...##
.##.#.#..#        FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING         ..#.#..#..
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