,,,«/**§£#                                          #£§**/«,,,
,,,,«/**§£                                          £§**/«,,,,
,,,,,«/**§                                          §**/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/**                                          **/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/*                                          */«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/             #,,,««««««««,,,#             /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,«     ####,«« 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        */«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/                                          /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,«                                          «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/                                          /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/*                                          */«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/**                                          **/«,,,,,,