##@§$%=«,.                                          .,«=%$§@##
§%=,,.....                                          .....,,=%§
##@§$%=«,.                                          .,«=%$§@##
#@§$$%=«,.                                          .,«=%$$§@#
§§$$=«««,.                                          .,«««=$$§§
@@$=«.....             #...««««««««...#             .....«=$@@
§§§$$%=«,.     ####.«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««.####      .,«=%$$§§§
§$$=,.....             #...««««««««...#             .....,=$$§
##@§$%=«,.                                          .,«=%$§@##
##@§$%=«,. ON EARTH  (THE PLANET  WHERE  I  LIVE) A .,«=%$§@##
@$$=,..... LOT OF  US  HAVE ANTENNAS ON  OUR HOUSES .....,=$$@
§%%=««««,. 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)                  .....«%§@@
##@§$%=«,.                                          .,«=%$§@##
##@§$%=«,.             #...««««««««...#             .,«=%$§@##
##@§$%=«,.     ####.«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««.####      .,«=%$§@##
@§§$$%=«,.             #...««««««««...#             .,«=%$$§§@
##@§$%=«,.                                          .,«=%$§@##
##@§$%=«,. I'M  GONNA GO SMOKE MY  THIRD  CIGARETTE .,«=%$§@##
§$%%%==«,. THIS YEAR AND TRY TO  SNATCH SOME  BEERS .,«==%%%$§
@§§$%=,...         FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING        ...,=%$§§@
@$$==«,...                                          ...,«==$$@
##@§$%=«,.                                          .,«=%$§@##
##@§$%=«,.                                          .,«=%$§@##
@$$$$%=«,.                                          .,«=%$$$$@
##@§$%=«,.                                          .,«=%$§@##