More than 200 planets orbiting distant solar-like stars have been discovered. All discovered extra-solar planets are larger than our Earth and are located at various distances from their host stars. Possibilities of finding Earth-like planets and life in these distant planetary systems will be discussed.

Observations show that "ordinary" matter constitutes less than 5% of all matter and energy in the Universe, which seems to be dominated by mysterious "dark energy" and "dark matter." Recent ideas about the origin and nature of these dark sides of our Universe will be discussed.