##@¶@*%*:. .:*%*@¶@##
#@¶@*%*:.. ..:*%*@¶@#
@¶@*%*:... ...:*%*@¶@
¶@*%*:.... ....:*%*@¶
@*%*:..... .....:*%*@
*%*:...... #...--------...# ......:*%*
%*:....... ####.-- 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 .....:*%*@
*%*:...... ......:*%*
%*:....... .......:*%
*:........ ........:*
%*:....... .......:*%
*%*:...... ......:*%*