how many known planets are there

[Bowyn Aerrow]

There have been hundreds of exo-solar planets discovered.

I think that in itself is a modern wonder. To think that for centuries of astronomy we couldn't detect worlds around other stars and now suddenly we are finding the everywhere we look...

As a kid we were cautioned that planets may be as rare as diamond, since we didn't (and still don't) know the real causes for planetary formation. While we guessed that nearly every star would have planets, there was always that lack of proof to shed doubt.

Now we know that planets around stars is the 'normal' way the universe works, which gives us a much higher probability of discovering a new race of being we can turn our small talent for war on.

I might live to see the day we discover some other species we can collectively hate so we can move on from killing each other.

(Pessimistic or realistic view there?)