.~«\*&§£@#                                          #@£§&*\«~.
..~«\*&§£@                                          @£§&*\«~..
...~«\*&§£                                          £§&*\«~...
....~«\*&§                                          §&*\«~....
.....~«\*&                                          &*\«~.....
......~«\*             #...««««««««...#             *\«~......
.....~«\*&      ####.«« 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         &*\«~.....
......~«\*                                          *\«~......
.....~«\*&                                          &*\«~.....
....~«\*&§                                          §&*\«~....
...~«\*&§£                                          £§&*\«~...
..~«\*&§£@                                          @£§&*\«~..