FWIW billions have been lost in the search for life on this planet not to mention the money spent
No kidding.
It was thought that by THIS time we would be flying all over our solar system, stretching out into our galaxy. No one realized HOW LONG all this technology would take to develop.
Also, there's not much out there that isn't HERE. All the elements on the periodic chart are here and OUT THERE. All the same stuff. There IS no "dilithium crystal (Star Trek) to power us over the trillions of light years to get to another star. I USED to think it a useful endeavor to reach for the stars, so to speak. Now I don't.
IF there are alien nations out there, they have the exact same elements we have and thus can't get to us any more than we can get to them: TOO MUCH COST OF FUEL.
Oh well, I've been a trekkie since it all began, 1968 or 69, I think, and I will always be one. Live long and...oh never mind! :o)
The technology advances that come from this research are what is most important