So there'll be a new holiday destination soon?

I love the fact that we are always exploring beyond the realms of what we know. The discovery of a new planet, Gliese 581c in the Beta Librae system, gives hope to those that believe we are not alone in the Universe. This makes 231 extra-solar planets that have been 'discovered'.

I have to laugh though when it's so casual presented by newsreaders. It's a bit like "Monday - Pick up Dry Cleaning, Tuesday - Discover new planet that might support life."

Hang on a second. These discoveries are potentially enourmous. Here we have planets that might support life, and more importantly, might support human life. As Stephen Hawking has put it recently, the only future for the human race is if it can break out beyond the bounds of this planet.

Let's face it, we have managed to bugger up the environment with potentially catastrophic results. Nuclear proliferation is on the rise. This is the dawning of the age of not-giving-a-fuck, and we have politicians paying lip service to Climate Change and Third World Aid.

This discovery, for me, is major news. As a planet, we need to be looking at ways to get into space. Not in some Star Trek/Warp Speed way, but in terms of getting permanent dwellings on the Moon and beyond.

Hopefully, even in my lifetime, we will see manned missions to Mars, and possibly even further. This is an exciting time for mankind. There should be a spirit of discovery in the same way that there was when the New World was discovered by Vespucci, Columbus, Magellan et al. We should be striving to push forward the realms of our knowledge, rather than trying to impose our own ideals, customs and mores on others. This is a chance for mankind to do what it does best. I only hope that we don't fall short.