@....@.... .@@..@.@.@
@@....@... .@@@.....@
.@@....@.. .@.@@....@
.@@@....@. ...@@@....
.@.@@....@ ...@.@@...
...@@@.... #...~~~~~~~~...# @....@@@..
...@.@@... ####.~~ 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 @@..@.@@..
...@@@.... .@@...@@@.
...@.@@... .@@@..@.@@
@....@@@.. .@.@@...@@
@@...@.@@. ...@@@..@.
@@@....@@@ @..@.@@...