@....@.@@. .@.@...@@.
@...@@@.@. @@@@..@.@@
@..@..@@@@ ...@.@@@..
@.@@.@...@ ..@@@..@.@
@@.@@@..@. .@..@.@@@.
.@@..@.@@@ #...««««««««...# @@.@@@..@@
@.@.@@@..@ ####.«« 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 @@@@@@..@.
@.@.@@.@@. .....@.@@.
@@@@.@@.@@ ....@@@.@@
...@@.@@.. ...@..@@..
..@.@@.@.. ..@@.@.@..
.@@@.@@@.. .@.@@@@@..