§§^^;,,... ...,,;^^§§
##@¶§%^~,. .,~^%§¶@##
¶%;,...... ......,;%¶
§^^~~,,... ...,,~~^^§
#@¶§%^;~,. .,~;^%§¶@#
§§%^^;;~,. #...~~~~~~~~...# .,~;;^^%§§
§§%%^^;~,. ####.~~ 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 .,~;^%§¶@#
§§^;,..... .....,;^§§
¶¶§%;;~... ...~;;%§¶¶
§%%%;~~~,. .,~~~;%%%§
#@¶§%^;~,. .,~;^%§¶@#
§^~~...... ......~~^§