....^^§§§§ §§§§^^....
....^^§*§§ §§*§^^....
.^^^~^§§§§ §§§§^~^^^.
.^~^§*§@@@ @@@§*§^~^.
.^~^§*§@@# #@@§*§^~^.
....~~§§§§ #...~~~~~~~~...# §§§§~~....
.^~^§§@@## ####.~~ 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 @@@§*§^~^.
.^~^§*§@@@ @@@§*§^~^.
.^~^§*§@@@ @@@§*§^~^.
.^~^§*§@@# #@@§*§^~^.
...~^§**§@ @§**§^~...
.......~§§ §§~.......