.....&&&&& .&..&.....
&&&&..&&&& ......&&&&
&&&....&&& .&&&&..&&&
&&..&&..&. ..&&....&&
&......... .....&&..&
..&&&&&&&& A#...~~~~~~~~...# &&&&......
&..&&&&&&& ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.#### &&&..&&&&&
....&&&&&& #...~~~~~~~~...# &&....&&&&
.&&..&&&&& ...&&..&&.
......&&&& THERE'S TOO LITTLE APPARENT LIFE IN THE &&........
&&&&&..&&& UNIVERSE#...~~~~~~~~...# &..&&&&&&&
&&&&....&. ####.~~ OMEGA POINT ~~.#### ....&&&&&&
&&&..&&... #...~~~~~~~~...# IT'&&&&£-A &&&..&&&&&
&&......&& &&....&&&&
&..&&&&..& THER## ...&&..&&&
....&&.... #...~~~~~~~~THERE'S PROBABLY A POINT &&......&&
.&&....&&& (THEY TELL ME SO; THE ONES I TALK TO, ...&&&&...
....&&..&. THE ONES UNTOUCHED BY OUR MORTAL &&..&&..&&
.&&....... EMPTINESS) &.........
....&&&&&. ..&&&&&&&&
.&&..&&&.. THERE'S PROBABLY A POINT WHERE WE TRY ...&&&&&&.
......&... TOO MUCH. THE FEY ARE CURIOUS LIKE US, &&..&&&&..
&&&&&...&& OR MOR&£££% A "KILLER FACT", SOMETHING .....&&..&
&&&&..&... THAT A SPECIES THAT ISN'T CURIOUS WILL &&&&......
.&&.....&& NEVER FIND &&&..&&&&.
....&&&... &&....&&..
&&&..&..&& BUT SOMETHING THAT A SPECIES THAT IS ...&&....&
&&.......& CURIOUS IS BOUND (IN THE FEY SENSE) TO &&....&&..
...&&&&&.. EXPLORE &..&&.....
&&..&&&..& ......&&&&
&....&.... THE KEYWORD HERE IS ~SAFETY MARGIN~~# - &&&&&..&&&
..&&...&&& IT WILL LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER FORCE, IT &&&&....&&
.....&..&& WILL FIT IN THE PUZZLE, SAFE TO BEND - .&&..&&...
&&&&...... BUT IT WONT BE, AND THE SECOND THEY ........&&
&&&..&&&&& TRY... .&&&&&&..&
&&....&&&. ..&&&&....
...&&..&.. AND SO.##~~~~~~~T &..&&..&&.
&&........ HEY LOOK AT US AND OUR PLANET AND THEY ..........
...&&&&&&& ~LAU~H~ &&&&&&&&&.
&&..&&&&&. ~~~AUSE WE'~RE NE~X~T... ###.##@~£:~~~~~ &&&&&&&&..
.....&&&.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ &&&&&&&...
&&&&..&..& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ &&&&&&..&&
&&&....... ~~~~~~~~~~#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ &&&&&....&
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