¨§§¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨
§¨§§§§¨§¨§                                          §§§¨¨¨§¨§¨
§§¨¨¨§§§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§§§§§
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨§§¨¨§§¨                                          §¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§             #¨¨¨--------¨¨¨#             §§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§
§¨§§§§§§¨§      ####¨-- 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         §¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          §¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
§§§¨¨§§§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§¨§¨¨§§¨                                          §§¨§§¨¨§¨§
¨§§§§¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§§§
§¨¨¨§§§§§¨                                          §¨§§§§¨¨¨§