..~-†=%#¶#                                          #¶#%=†-~..
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.~-†=%#¶##             #...--------...#             ##¶#%=†-~.
..~-†=%#¶#     ####.-- 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         #%=†-~....
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..~-†=%#¶#                                          #¶#%=†-~..
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