@@@**,.... ....,**@@@
#@#@@$*=,. .,=*$@@#@#
#@$$$$*=,. .,=*$$$$@#
@#@@$*=... ...=*$@@#@
#@@$**,... ...,**$@@#
#@#@@$*=,. #...========...# .,=*$@@#@#
#@$==..... ####.== FERMI'S PARADOX ==.#### .....==$@#
##@#@@$*,. #...========...# .,*$@@#@##
@$$**==,.. ..,==**$$@
@##@@$*=,. ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A .,=*$@@##@
##@@@$*=,. LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES .,=*$@@@##
@#@@@$*=,. OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE .,=*$@@@#@
@@@@$*==,. ANTENNAS FOR LARGER BANDWITH, WE HAVE .,==*$@@@@
#@**,,.... BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR ....,,**@#
@#@@*,.... SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM ....,*@@#@
@#@*==.... INTO ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT LARGE AS FUCK ....==*@#@
@@@@**,... ANTENNA ARRAYS ...,**@@@@
#@#@@$*=,. WE'VE VIRTUALLY BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A .,=*$@@#@#
#@#@@$*=,. DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH. .,=*$@@#@#
@@$==..... .....==$@@
@$$*,,.... 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 ......=$$@
@@@@$*,,.. THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS ..,,*$@@@@
@@#@@$*=,. FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING .,=*$@@#@@
@@#@@$*=,. .,=*$@@#@@
@@@@@$*=,. .,=*$@@@@@
#@$===.... ....===$@#
@@@$$$*=,. .,=*$$$@@@
@@$=...... ......=$@@