@@@@@@@@.. .@@...@.@@
.......@.. @.@..@@@..
......@@.. @@@.@..@..
.....@.@.. ..@@@.@@..
....@@@@.@ .@..@@.@..
...@...@@. #...--------...# @@.@.@@@..
..@@..@.@@ ####.-- 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 .@..@@@.@@
@.@@@.@..@ @@.@..@@.@
@@..@@@.@. .@@@.@.@@.
.@.@..@@@. @..@@@@.@@
@@@@.@..@. @.@...@@.@
...@@@.@@@ @@@..@.@@.