Why does it matter if there is life on some planet in another galaxy zillion light years away? We have a hard time landing on Mars in our own planetary system only a few million miles away. Such a waste of energy. Focus on better life on earth. When our Sun transforms into a red giant, as all other suns in universe do, earth will be swallowed up by the expanding sun giant. Celebrate the life we have and channel energies towards improving life.

Agree. Work in our own neighborhood: our solar system, where our endeavors have some relavance.

Sure, look around with telescopes of various types. Hubble was adequate for “seeing” far away. Imo, the James Webb expense would have better spent in local area manned & unmanned space exploration...the planets out to, say, Jupiter and the asteroid belt.

The JWST “information & pictures” is, for the most part, interpolated guesses based on scientific opinion, with little relevance beyond ‘getting published’ and applying for more taxpayer-funded grants.

Star Wars movie said “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...” Indeed. Up to several billion years go and an unimaginable distance away. Enough, already.