Like ornaments on a Christmas tree planets suitable for human life are suspended in space in this artist's rendering. "Exoplanets" is the ugly name for these beautiful worlds. Space.com is engaging in another end-of-year tradition, predicting events in the coming year. 2013, space.com tells us, will be the Year of the Exoplanet. "I'm very positive that the first Earth twin will be discovered next year," predicted Dr. Abel Mendez.
If an "Earth twin" is found what will we do? Who's we? Chinese will do nothing. Will Americans, more broadly in Churchill's phrase, the "English-speaking peoples?" The British explored the world and peopled the "New World." The British exploration gene was magnified in transmission to their American offspring. Americans are the most inquisitive people on this earth. American We's are leading the search for Earth twins. Are we still young? Are we still energetic? If we find other habitable worlds will we go there?
