¶@$*~,.... ....,~*$@¶
#¶@$*~,... ...,~*$@¶#
##¶@$*~,.. ..,~*$@¶##
###¶@$*~,. .,~*$@¶###
##¶@$*~,.. ..,~*$@¶##
#¶@$*~,... #...~~~~~~~~...# ...,~*$@¶#
¶@$*~,.... ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.#### ....,~*$@¶
@$*~,..... #...~~~~~~~~...# .....,~*$@
$*~,...... ......,~*$
*~,....... 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 ~~.#### .......,~*
$*~,...... #...~~~~~~~~...# ......,~*$
@$*~,..... .....,~*$@
¶@$*~,.... I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE ....,~*$@¶
#¶@$*~,... THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS ...,~*$@¶#
##¶@$*~,.. FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING ..,~*$@¶##
###¶@$*~,. .,~*$@¶###
##¶@$*~,.. ..,~*$@¶##
#¶@$*~,... ...,~*$@¶#
¶@$*~,.... ....,~*$@¶
@$*~,..... .....,~*$@