......@... ........@.
@@@@@...@@ @@@@@@@...
.@@@..@..@ @@@@@@..@.
..@....... @@@@@.....
@...@@@@@. @@@@..@@@@
..@..@@@.. #...========...# .@@....@@@
......@... ####.== 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 ....@.....
..@@@@.... @@@...@@@@
...@@..@@. @@..@..@@.
@@........ ..........
...@@@@@@. @@@@@@@@@.
@@..@@@@.. @@@@@@@@..