:......... .........:
=:........ ........:=
\=:....... .......:=\
*\=:...... ......:=\*
**\=:..... .....:=\**
#**\=:.... #...========...# ....:=\**#
##**\=:... ####.== 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 .......:=\
=:........ ........:=
:......... .........:
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........