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.#...#..#.                                          .#..#####.
##..##.##. 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 #....#...#
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##...##.##             #...--------...#             ##....#.#.
.#..#.##.#                                          .#...#####
##.###.###              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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