##@#&**=.¨ ¨.=**&#@##
#@#&**=.¨¨ ¨¨.=**&#@#
@#&**=.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.=**&#@
#&**=.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.=**&#
&**=.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.=**&
**=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ #¨¨¨========¨¨¨# ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=**
*=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ####¨== 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨