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##@@@$*«.. ..«*$@@@##
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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 ......«*@§
#@#§@$*«.. AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT (LIGHT IS OUR ..«*$@§#@#
##@§@$*«.. MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), ..«*$@§@##
@@#§@$*«.. DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE ..«*$@§#@@
@§§§@$*«.. COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS ..«*$@§§§@
@@#§@$*«.. FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS ..«*$@§#@@
#@#§@$*«.. BEAMING OF ALL OUR SECRETS IN EVERY ..«*$@§#@#
#@#§@$*«.. DIRECTION KNOWN TO US, ..«*$@§#@#
@§§@$**«.. ..«**$@§§@
§$*....... NO . ONE . HAS . ANSWERED .......*$§
#@#§@$*«.. ..«*$@§#@#
#@#§@$*«.. #...««««««««...# ..«*$@§#@#
###§@$*«.. ####.«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««.#### ..«*$@§###
#@#§@$*«.. #...««««««««...# ..«*$@§#@#
#@#§@$*«.. ..«*$@§#@#
@@#§@$*«.. SO WHY IS THAT? ..«*$@§#@@
#@*....... .......*@#
#§$***.... MOST OPPONENTS TO INTELLIGENT LIFE IN ....***$§#
#@#§@$*«.. THE UNIVERSE SAY IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED ..«*$@§#@#
#@@@@$*«.. A CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER STAR AND THE ..«*$@@@@#
#@#§@$*«.. PLANET NEEDS TO BE AT A SEE-AND-SO ..«*$@§#@#
#@#§@$*«.. DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE STAR (LIKE THERE ..«*$@§#@#
#@#§@$*«.. HAS TO BE A PLANET!) ..«*$@§#@#
##@#§@*«.. ..«*@§#@##
#§§$«««... BUT REALLY ISN'T THAT KEEPING THE ...«««$§§#
#@#§@$*«.. DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX? ..«*$@§#@#
@#@@$$*«.. ..«*$$@@#@
@@#§@$*«.. I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO ..«*$@§#@@
#§$$$**«.. IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING (AND IT PROBABLY ..«**$$$§#
##@#§$*«.. SHOWS) ..«*$§#@##
#@#§@$*«.. ..«*$@§#@#
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§§§@$$*«.. ####.«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««.#### ..«*$$@§§§
##@#§@$«.. #...««««««««...# ..«$@§#@##
#§§$*..... .....*$§§#
@§$*«..... I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE .....«*$§@
§§§$««.... THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS ....««$§§§
##@#@$*«.. FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING ..«*$@#@##
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#§$$««.... ....««$$§#
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