§¨¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§§¨§¨§¨§             #¨¨¨»»»»»»»»¨¨¨#             ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨¨§¨§¨§¨§     ####¨»» 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         ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§¨§§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨