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Exoplanets are planets which are not part of our solar system, but orbit other stars.

How and when might life on earth end? The Earth has a finite lifespan, and increasing radiation from the Sun will eventually render it uninhabitable. Over the past two decades, new telescopes and detection techniques have revealed nearly 2,000 planets in the orbit of other stars in the Galaxy, a handful of which may be considered 'Earth-like' or even habitable. How does the Earth compare in terms of its predicted lifespan when compared to these newly-discovered worlds, and why is it important?

Andrew Rushby has recently completed his doctoral thesis on The Lifespan of Habitable Worlds, and will be taking up a research post at NASA in 2016.

His research has been reported in the national press:
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/sep/18/forecast-life-on-earth