###&%*=--. .--=*%&###
#%=--..... .....--=%#
##%=-..... .....-=%##
###&%*=--. .--=*%&###
##&*-..... .....-*&##
##%=--.... #...--------...# ....--=%##
###&%*=--. ####.-- 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 .--=*%&###
#%%====--. .--====%%#
###&%*=--. .--=*%&###
###&%*=--. .--=*%&###
#%****=--. .--=****%#
###&%*=--. .--=*%&###