Re: wet blanket
The most important thing that we are finding out from all the new planetary surveys is that planets are very, very common, and that even among the few stars out of billions where we can reliably make observations we have found planets approaching Earth size and in habitable zones.
Odds of life out there have gone up considerably, and along with them (if not on exactly the same curve) odds of intelligent life. Nobody has to make certain claims for all of us to be encouraged.