We were able to rule out Earth-sized planets in some of the orbits where theorists believed they might be found.

Imagine trying to see a mosquito disappearing behind a 400-Watt streetlamp, not at the next street corner or a few blocks away, but 1,000 kilometers away. That's equivalent to what we're trying to do to detect the planet's eclipse in the HD 209458 system.

I would say the majority of astronomers believe there is life elsewhere, and the best place to find it would be on a planet that has conditions like the Earth.