@.@@.@..@@ @@@@@..@@@
.@@.@@@.@. .....@.@..
.@.@@..@@@ .....@@@@.
.@@@.@.@.. @....@...@
@@..@@@@@. @@...@@..@
..@.@....@ #...~~~~~~~~...# @.@..@.@.@
@.@@@@...@ ####.~~ 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 @@@@.@..@.
@.@@@@.@.@ ....@@@.@@
.@@...@@@@ ....@..@@.
.@.@..@... ....@@.@.@
@@@@@.@@.. ....@.@@@@
.....@@.@. @...@@@...