###¶@%^--, ,--^%@¶###
##¶@%%^--, ,--^%%@¶##
###¶@%%^-, ,-^%%@¶###
##¶@%%^--, ,--^%%@¶##
@%%%%^-,,, ,,,-^%%%%@
@%--,,,,,, #,,,--------,,,# ,,,,,,--%@
¶¶¶@%%^--, ####,-- 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 ,--^%%@¶##
##¶@%%^--, ,--^%%@¶##
¶@%----,,, ,,,----%@¶
##¶@%%^--, ,--^%%@¶##
##¶@%%^--, ,--^%%@¶##
##¶@%%^--, ,--^%%@¶##