http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=7790

I like this article in particular because they are thinking rocky planets like our own are very common in the universe. The Spitzer Infrared telescope has already found 8 stars with a dusty belt around it. Finding this and in March when the Kepler spacecraft searches for planets like ours.. maybe within the next 20-100 years we could find another planet that supports life.  

I wonder what the general populace wouold do if another planet was found that could support life.

 

I think the nations of the Earth would all begin crash programs to make spaceships that could get to that planet first, and somebody got a probe that could make it to the planet, take detailed readings and fly back, that nation would begin drafting colonists to take on a colony ship to settle New Terra.

It's all purely fictional, of course. I personally believe that the planets that are most capable of supporting Earth like life are Mars and Venus; I don't think an extraterrestrial planet will be found with Earth like qualities within at my lifetime, at the very least. But then you've got the infinite monkeys on an infinite number of typewriters and an infinite number of broken typewriters argument.

I think the appropriate question is, what would the general population do if an Earth like planet wasn't found?

Or looking at this another way, carbon planets aren't abundant, at least not in the inner regions of solar systems in our part of the galaxy.

I know there would be some that would argue not going 'green' on earth anymore. Seeing that there would be another planet to colonize.

Also, other problems would pop up. Such as, how should the planet be colonize. Which group of people get which regions...etc.

I do not think that it would unite the people of Earth. Rather it might further divide the people of Earth.  So I agree with you JacaByte, about the competition.

Hmm? maybe the cause for the 1st space war?

 

The thing is if we do find one we are so far from being able to travel to it. Our closest star, not planet, is 4 light years away. If we did start finding habital planets we have no technology to get there. I hope it can be done but as of now.. something traveling at those speeds just can't be done. At least it can't be done with our propulsion we have today. Maybe if we could unlock nuclear fusion or some type of anti gravity vs. gravity to fuel us we could be on a start. Anyway I hope our space flight does improve some in my life time. I would like to see something that could atleast explore our own galaxy.