@*\^...... ......^\*@
###¶@*=~^. .^~=*@¶###
¶*\^^..... .....^^\*¶
#@@@*=\~^. .^~\=*@@@#
#¶@==~~... ...~~==@¶#
##¶@*=\~^. #...~~~~~~~~...# .^~\=*@¶##
#@*=\~.... ####.~~ 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 ..^~\==*@@
##¶@*=\~^. .^~\=*@¶##
#@=\\~.... ....~\\=@#
##¶@*=\~^. .^~\=*@¶##
##¶@*=\~^. .^~\=*@¶##
¶¶¶@*=\~^. .^~\=*@¶¶¶