¨¨¨-«*$§&@                                          @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§&                                          &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@                                          @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#                                          #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@##                                          ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#             #¨¨¨««««««««¨¨¨#             #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@      ####¨«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««¨####     @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§&             #¨¨¨««««««««¨¨¨#             &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@                                          @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# ON  EARTH (THE  PLANET WHERE  I LIVE)  A #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@## LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS  ON  OUR  HOUSES ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# OR   BALCONIES,  WE  HAVE   BUILT  LARGE #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@ ANTENNAS FOR  LARGER  BANDWITH, WE  HAVE @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§&      BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR     &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@    SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM   @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# INTO  ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT  LARGE AS FUCK #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@##              ANTENNA ARRAYS              ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# WE'VE VIRTUALLY  BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@          DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH.         @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§&                                          &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@ WE'VE LEARNED  ABOUT OUR POSITION IN THE @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#     SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS      #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@## PLACEMENT   IN  THE   GALAXY,   AND  OUR ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL  CLUSTER, #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@ AND «OUR«  LOCAL CLUSTERS PLACE  IN  THE @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§&          GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS          &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@                                          @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# AND  WE'RE  MOVING  AROUND  THE  SUN  AT #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@## VELOCITY  AND THE SUNS MOVING AROUND THE ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# CENTER  OF  THE  GALAXY  AT VELOCITY AND #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@ THE  GALAXY IS MOVING  TOWARD  ANDROMEDA @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§&   AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE    &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@ AROUND THE  GALAXY. AND WE AS A  SPECIES @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@##                                          ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# AND DESPITE  ALL THIS,  DESPITE ALL  OUR #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@   (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR    @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§& RADIO  PROGRAMMES OUT  IN FUCKING  SPACE &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@ AT THE  SPEED OF  LIGHT  (LIGHT  IS  OUR @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#  MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@##      DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE      ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#     COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS     #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@   FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS    @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§& BEAMING  OF  ALL  OUR  SECRETS IN  EVERY &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@          DIRECTION KNOWN TO US,          @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#                                          #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@## NO   ¨    ONE    ¨    HAS   ¨   ANSWERED ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#                                          #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@             #¨¨¨««««««««¨¨¨#             @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§&      ####¨«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««¨####     &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@             #¨¨¨««««««««¨¨¨#             @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#                                          #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@##              SO WHY IS THAT?             ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#                                          #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@ MOST OPPONENTS TO  INTELLIGENT  LIFE  IN @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§& THE  UNIVERSE SAY  IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@ A CLASS  ONE-OR-THE-OTHER  STAR AND  THE @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# PLANET  NEEDS  TO  BE  AT  A  SEE-AND-SO #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@## DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE  STAR (LIKE THERE ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#           HAS TO BE A PLANET!)           #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@                                          @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§& BUT  REALLY   ISN'T  THAT  KEEPING   THE &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@      DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX?      @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#                                          #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@## I THINK  EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@# IDEA WHAT WE'RE  DOING (AND  IT PROBABLY #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@                  SHOWS)                  @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§&                                          &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@             #¨¨¨««««««««¨¨¨#             @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#     ####¨«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««¨####      #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@##             #¨¨¨««««««««¨¨¨#             ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#                                          #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@ I'M  GONNA  GO SMOKE MY  THIRD CIGARETTE @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§& THIS YEAR  AND  TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS &§$*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@         FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING        @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#                                          #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨-«*$§&@##                                          ##@&§$*«-¨
¨¨-«*$§&@#                                          #@&§$*«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«*$§&@                                          @&§$*«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*$§&                                          &§$*«-¨¨¨¨