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In the NYT yesterday: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/science/space/13planet.htm...
Personally, I am excited about the prospects of detecting extrasolar life in the next decade or so. I do my best to look up from time to time, and to remind myself that I am on a sphere of rock, orbiting a runaway nuclear reaction. IMHO, learning that life goes on elsewhere (and originated elsewhere), might give us a healthy perspective.
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True enough. But as we might completely overlook a extremely alien form of life, this might be a good start. There are arguments based on the valence of carbon atoms and the high-specific heat of water that suggest ours might be a popular setup for life-sustaining(?) chemistry.