.&&&..&.&&                                          &&&&&&&&&.
&.&&.&&..&                                          &&&&&&&&&.
&..&..&.&&                                          &&&&&&&&&.
&.&&.&&..&                                          &&&&&&&&&.
&..&..&.&&                                          .&&&&&&&&.
&.&&.&&..&             #...========...#             ..&&&&&&&.
&..&..&.&&      ####.== 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        .&.&.&.&&.
&.&&.&&..&                                          .&.&.&..&.
&..&..&.&&                                          .&.&.&.&&.
&.&&.&&..&                                          .&.&.&..&.
&..&..&.&&                                          .&.&.&.&&.
&.&&.&&..&                                          .&.&.&..&.