###@@%*=:. .:=*%@@###
##@@%*=:.. ..:=*%@@##
#@@%*=:... ...:=*%@@#
@@%*=:.... ....:=*%@@
@%*=:..... .....:=*%@
%*=:...... #...========...# ......:=*%
*=:....... ####.== 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 ...:=*%@@#
@@%*=:.... ....:=*%@@
@%*=:..... .....:=*%@
%*=:...... ......:=*%
*=:....... .......:=*
%*=:...... ......:=*%