&&&,&,,,,& &,&,&,,&,,
,,&&&,,,&, &&&&&,&&,&
,&,,&,,&&& ,,,,&&,&&&
&&,&&,&,,& ,,,&,&&,,&
,&&,&&&,&, ,,&&&,&,&,
&,&&,,&&&, 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... ###,###=¶;==^^^ &,,,&&&&,&
,,&&,,&,,& ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ &,,&,,,&&&
,&,&,&&,&& ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ &,&&,,&,,&
&&&&&,&&,& ^^^^^^^^^^#^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ &&,&,&&,&&
,,,,&&,&&& ,&&&&,&&,,
,,,&,&&,,& &,,,&&,&,,
,,&&&,&,&, &,,&,&&&,,
,&,,&&&&&, &,&&&,,&,,
&&,&,,,,&& &&,,&,&&,,
,&&&,,,&,& ,&,&&&,&,&