§§§§.§.§§.                                          .......§..
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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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