[LibWhacker]

In a way, I think all this variety is actually good news for life, since our observations nowadays are severely biased toward only one type of solar system: namely, those with Jovian planets orbiting close to their parent star.

Even looking mostly at those types of systems, we see all kinds of variety. So in the future, when we take the blinders off (i.e., get some really good, capable telescopes up and running), the implication is that the variety we'll see, over this much broader spectrum of solar systems, will be absolutely astounding -- including lots of systems with "earth-like" planets in nice stable orbits. Holy moly, I want to live long enough to see telescopes that can actually see earth-like planets out to a couple of hundred light years!! Twenty-five more years might do it.

[Centurion2000]

Holy moly, I want to live long enough to see telescopes that can actually see earth-like planets out to a couple of hundred light years!!

You and me both :)

[KevinDavis]

There can't be other Earth like planets.. It was not mentioned in the Bible!! /s