.^«^*%#@##                                          ##@#%*^«^.
.^«^*%##@#                                          #@##%*^«^.
.^«^*%#@##                                          ##@#%*^«^.
.....^«*%#                                          #%*«^.....
.^«^*%##@#                                          #@##%*^«^.
....^^%%%#             #...««««««««...#             #%%%^^....
......«^%#      ####.«« 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        ##*^«.....
.......«*#                                          #*«.......
.^«^*%##@#                                          #@##%*^«^.
.^^««««*##                                          ##*««««^^.
.^«^*%##@#                                          #@##%*^«^.
.^«^*%#@##                                          ##@#%*^«^.