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#&&&*%;~:, ####,~~ 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 ~~,#### ,,:::;*&&#
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##¶&*%;~:, 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 ,:~;%%*&&&
&&**;~:,,, ,,,:~;**&&
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