#£$§\«:,,,                                          ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,,                                          ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:,                                          ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,,                                          ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,,                                          ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,,             #,,,««««««««,,,#             ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,,     ####,«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««,####      ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,,             #,,,««««««««,,,#             ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:,                                          ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,, ON EARTH  (THE PLANET  WHERE I  LIVE)  A ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,, LOT OF  US HAVE ANTENNAS  ON OUR  HOUSES ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,, OR  BALCONIES,  WE   HAVE  BUILT   LARGE ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,, ANTENNAS FOR  LARGER BANDWITH,  WE  HAVE ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,,     BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR      ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:,    SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM   ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,, INTO  ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT LARGE  AS FUCK ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,,              ANTENNA ARRAYS              ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,, WE'VE VIRTUALLY  BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,,          DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH.         ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,,                                          ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:, WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT  OUR POSITION IN THE ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,,      SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS     ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,, PLACEMENT   IN  THE   GALAXY,   AND  OUR ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,, GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL  CLUSTER, ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,, AND «OUR« LOCAL  CLUSTERS  PLACE  IN THE ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,,          GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS          ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:,                                          ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,, AND  WE'RE  MOVING  AROUND  THE  SUN  AT ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,, VELOCITY AND THE SUNS MOVING AROUND  THE ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,, CENTER  OF THE  GALAXY AT  VELOCITY  AND ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,, THE  GALAXY IS MOVING  TOWARD  ANDROMEDA ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,,   AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE    ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:, AROUND THE GALAXY. AND WE  AS A  SPECIES ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,, HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,,                                          ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,, AND DESPITE  ALL THIS,  DESPITE ALL  OUR ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,,    (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR   ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,, RADIO PROGRAMMES OUT  IN  FUCKING  SPACE ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:, AT  THE  SPEED OF LIGHT  (LIGHT  IS  OUR ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,, MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!),  ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,,      DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE      ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,,     COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS     ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,,    FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS   ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,, BEAMING  OF  ALL  OUR SECRETS  IN  EVERY ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:,          DIRECTION KNOWN TO US,          ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,,                                          ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,, NO   ,   ONE   ,    HAS    ,    ANSWERED ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,,                                          ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,,             #,,,««««««««,,,#             ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,,      ####,«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««,####     ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:,             #,,,««««««««,,,#             ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,,                                          ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,,             SO WHY IS THAT?              ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,,                                          ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,, MOST OPPONENTS  TO  INTELLIGENT  LIFE IN ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,, THE UNIVERSE SAY IT'S  BECAUSE YOU  NEED ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:, A  CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER  STAR  AND THE ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,, PLANET  NEEDS  TO  BE  AT  A  SEE-AND-SO ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,, DISTANCE AWAY FROM  THE STAR (LIKE THERE ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,,           HAS TO BE A PLANET!)           ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,,                                          ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,, BUT  REALLY   ISN'T   THAT  KEEPING  THE ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:,      DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX?      ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,,                                          ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,, I THINK EVERYONE AGREES  THAT WE HAVE NO ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,, IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING  (AND IT  PROBABLY ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,,                  SHOWS)                  ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,,                                          ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:,             #,,,««««««««,,,#             ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,,     ####,«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««,####      ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,,             #,,,««««««««,,,#             ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,,                                          ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,, I'M GONNA  GO  SMOKE  MY THIRD CIGARETTE ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,, THIS  YEAR  AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS ,,:«\§$£##
###£$§\«:,        FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING         ,:«\§$£###
##£$§\«:,,                                          ,,:«\§$£##
#£$§\«:,,,                                          ,,,:«\§$£#
£$§\«:,,,,                                          ,,,,:«\§$£
#£$§\«:,,,                                          ,,,:«\§$£#
##£$§\«:,,                                          ,,:«\§$£##