But the fact that rocky planets can take shape around metal-poor stars means the first roughly Earth-like worlds may have formed long, long ago.

MSN: Alien Earths may be plentiful in our Milky Way galaxy

On the outskirts of a Cairo neighborhood called Maadi is a collection of cardboard and metal shacks housing hundreds of poor families.

CNN: Homes for the Zabbaleen

Adam Sarhan, founder and chief executive at asset-management firm Sarhan Capital, New York, cited the poor weather in India as a reason for recently dumping gold after holding the precious metal in his portfolio for more than a decade.

WSJ: India's Wilting Crops Tarnish Gold