@##*\~~~,. .,~~~\*##@
#*\~~..... .....~~\*#
##@#$*\~,. .,~\*$#@##
##*~...... ......~*##
@###$*\~,. .,~\*$###@
@#$*~,.... #...~~~~~~~~...# ....,~*$#@
@#$*~~.... ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.#### ....~~*$#@
#@@#$*\~,. #...~~~~~~~~...# .,~\*$#@@#
@$*~~~~~,. .,~~~~~*$@
#@@#$*\~,. ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A .,~\*$#@@#
@@@#$*\~,. LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES .,~\*$#@@@
@@#**\~... 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 .,~\*$#@##
#@@#$*\~,. .,~\*$#@@#
####$*\~,. .,~\*$####
###$$*\~,. .,~\*$$###
@@@#$*\~,. .,~\*$#@@@
#@@#$*\~,. .,~\*$#@@#