##£#$*†«.¨                                          ¨.«†*$#£##
#£#$*†«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«†*$#£#
£#$*†«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«†*$#£
#$*†«.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.«†*$#
$*†«.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.«†*$
*†«.¨¨¨¨¨¨             #¨¨¨««««««««¨¨¨#             ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«†*
†«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨      ####¨«« 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«†*
$*†«.¨¨¨¨¨         FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING        ¨¨¨¨¨.«†*$
#$*†«.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.«†*$#
£#$*†«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«†*$#£
#£#$*†«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«†*$#£#
##£#$*†«.¨                                          ¨.«†*$#£##
#£#$*†«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«†*$#£#