.^~^%%%&&& &&&%%%^~^.
.^~^%$&### ###&$%^~^.
...^^~~^%& &%^~~^^...
.^~^%$&### ###&$%^~^.
.....~^$## ##$^~.....
.....~^$$& #...~~~~~~~~...# &$$^~.....
.^~^%$&### ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.#### ###&$%^~^.
.....^^^%& #...~~~~~~~~...# &%^^^.....
....^^%%&# #&%%^^....
.^~^%$&### ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A ###&$%^~^.
.^~^$&#### LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES ####&$^~^.
.....~%$&# OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE #&$%~.....
.^~^%$&### ANTENNAS FOR LARGER BANDWITH, WE HAVE ###&$%^~^.
....~~%&## 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 ~~.#### ##&%%~^^..
.^~^%$&### #...~~~~~~~~...# ###&$%^~^.
.^~^%$&### ###&$%^~^.
....^~^$## I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE ##$^~^....
.^~^%$&### THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS ###&$%^~^.
.^~^%$&&## FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING ##&&$%^~^.
.^~^%$&### ###&$%^~^.
.^~^%$&### ###&$%^~^.
.^~^%$#### ####$%^~^.
....^^~%&# #&%~^^....
...~~~~%&& &&%~~~~...