Habitable Worlds in our Galaxy

So far, Earth is the only planet that is habitable, and inhabited. The search for life on other planets, both within and outside our Solar system, has entered a new era with the discovery of more than 5000 exoplanets, planets orbiting stars other than our Sun. These planets not only orbit different types of stars, but also are unique with no equivalent objects within our Solar system. A broader picture is emerging, where our Sun and its planets occupy a small piece of a larger puzzle. Can habitable conditions and life arise on these wide varieties of planetary systems?  What are the current efforts to discover biosignatures (signs of biology), and Technosignatures (signs of technology)?   I will discuss the current status of the search for exoplanets and in particular habitable worlds, summarizing the most important discoveries and potential climates of these planets. I will conclude with discussing the current and planned missions to find extraterrestrial biological and technological life, and prospects of identifying such life through remote observations.