##%*~~~~:. .:~~~~*%##
#&&*~~.... ....~~*&&#
###&%*;~:. .:~;*%&###
###&%*;~:. .:~;*%&###
#&%;~:.... ....:~;%&#
###&%*;~:. #...~~~~~~~~...# .:~;*%&###
###&%*;~:. ####.~~ 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 ....::~*%#
####&*;~:. .:~;*&####
&%*~~~.... ....~~~*%&
###&%*;~:. .:~;*%&###
&&&%**;~:. .:~;**%&&&
###&%*;~:. .:~;*%&###