@§==~..... .....~==§@
¶@§==~.... ....~==§@¶
#¶@§==~... ...~==§@¶#
##¶@§==~.. ..~==§@¶##
#¶@§==~... ...~==§@¶#
¶@§==~.... #...~~~~~~~~...# ....~==§@¶
@§==~..... ####.~~ 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 ...~==§@¶#
¶@§==~.... ....~==§@¶
@§==~..... .....~==§@
§==~...... ......~==§
==~....... .......~==
=~........ ........~=