.,====%$$@                                          @$$%====,.
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.,=:%$@@##             #...========...#             ##@@$%:=,.
.,=:%$@@##     ####.== FERMI'S PARADOX ==.####      ##@@$%:=,.
.,=:%$@@##             #...========...#             ##@@$%:=,.
..,,==:%@#                                          #@%:==,,..
...==:%%%@ 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 @%==,,,...
.,=:%$@@## THIS YEAR AND TRY TO  SNATCH SOME  BEERS ##@@$%:=,.
.,=:%$@@##        FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING         ##@@$%:=,.
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