--- title: "Astronomers Complain That the JWST Is Producing Too Much Data, Too Fast" description: "A new occupational hazard for astronomers just dropped — and it's all because the James Webb Space Telescope is, perhaps, a little too good at its job." date: "2023-01-23" modified: "2023-01-23" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/james-webb-too-much-data" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "James webb" - "james webb space telescope" - "JWST" - "the digest" --- # Astronomers Complain That the JWST Is Producing Too Much Data, Too Fast ![A new occupational hazard for astronomers just dropped — and it's all because the James Webb Space Telescope is, perhaps, a little too good at its job.]() *\Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and M. Zamani (ESA)\* ## Data Diatribe A new occupational hazard for astronomers just dropped — and it's all because the James Webb Space Telescope is, perhaps, a little *too* good at its job. In an [*MIT Technology Review* report](), astronomers say that although they're incredibly stoked on the powerful, [poorly-named]() telescope's advents in their field, it's been a lot to handle due to the sheer scale and volume of its data. "It was more than we expected," Webb scientist Heidi Hammel told the academic publication. "Once we went into operational mode, it was just nonstop. Every hour we were looking at a galaxy or an exoplanet or star formation." "It was like a firehose," added Hammel, who also serves as the vice president for science at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. ## Rush Hour As the report notes, some scientists are concerned that the JWST is sending down so much data so fast — an incredible 50 gigabytes of it *per day*, as compared to the one or two that the Hubble transmits — it's resulted in a push for quality over quantity of analyses. In the telescope's early months especially, astronomer Emiliano Merlin of the University of Rome told *MIT Tech* that the "rush to publish anything as soon as possible" analyzing discoveries from Webb's veritable reams of data led to scientists publishing tons of non-peer-reviewed papers on the open access arXiv server. The headlines, critics worry, can rush ahead of the scientific process. "When you’re dealing with something this new and this unknown, things should be checked 10 or 100 times," Merlin said. "That’s not how things went." While the need for speed was understandable in the case of those early Webb transmissions, which as you'll likely recall were [so awe-inspiring]() that they had [scientists openly weeping in the lab](), it's not a great look in the long term. "It was not something I personally really liked," Merlin mused. **More on space 'scopin:** [*NASA Unveils Plan for Giant Telescope to Spot Life on Alien Planets*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()