..:=†=$£¶#                                          #¶£$=†=:..
...:=†=$£¶                                          ¶£$=†=:...
....:=†=$£                                          £$=†=:....
.....:=†=$                                          $=†=:.....
......:=†=                                          =†=:......
.....:=†=$             #...========...#             $=†=:.....
....:=†=$£     ####.== 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 $=†=:.....
......:=†=         from the local beer thing        =†=:......
.....:=†=$                                          $=†=:.....
....:=†=$£                                          £$=†=:....
...:=†=$£¶                                          ¶£$=†=:...
..:=†=$£¶#                                          #¶£$=†=:..
.:=†=$£¶##                                          ##¶£$=†=:.