##¶&¤%/«,.                                          .,«/%¤&¶##
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##¶&¤%/«,.                                          .,«/%¤&¶##
##¶&¤%/«,.                                          .,«/%¤&¶##
###¶¤%/«,.                                          .,«/%¤¶###
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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 ...,///¤¶#
¶&%«,.....                                          .....,«%&¶
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&¤¤/,,,,..             #...««««««««...#             ..,,,,/¤¤&
¶¤¤¤¤%/«,.                                          .,«/%¤¤¤¤¶
##¶&¤%/«,.              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)                  .,«/%¤&¶##
#&¤%%%/«,.                                          .,«/%%%¤&#
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&¤¤%//«,..             #...««««««««...#             ..,«//%¤¤&
##¶&¤%/«,.                                          .,«/%¤&¶##
##¶&¤%/«,. 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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##¶&¤%/«,.                                          .,«/%¤&¶##