..:»:%$@##                                          ##@$%:»:..
...:»:%$@#                                          #@$%:»:...
....:»:%$@                                          @$%:»:....
.....:»:%$                                          $%:»:.....
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.......:»:             #...»»»»»»»»...#             :»:.......
......:»:%      ####.»» FERMI'S PARADOX »».####     %:»:......
.....:»:%$             #...»»»»»»»»...#             $%:»:.....
....:»:%$@                                          @$%:»:....
...:»:%$@# ON EARTH  (THE  PLANET  WHERE  I LIVE) A #@$%:»:...
..:»:%$@## LOT OF US  HAVE  ANTENNAS ON OUR  HOUSES ##@$%:»:..
.:»:%$@### OR  BALCONIES,  WE  HAVE   BUILT   LARGE ###@$%:»:.
..:»:%$@## ANTENNE  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, DESPINTE 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        @$%:»:....
.....:»:%$                                          $%:»:.....
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.....:»:%$                                          $%:»:.....