Public intellectuals

I'm too tired to write a comment. But go and read, and keep in mind that this doesn't just apply to scientists. All intellectuals ought to be public intellectuals; they don't (or shouldn't) just pay us to think deep thoughts with each other.

This therefore leads, once more, to the idea that perhaps the layman not only is not ill-equipped to fully understand science, but that more important than the lack of education, is a lack of caring. But, if that's the case, than how do we reach out to the community and encourage improved general scientific understanding of our surroundings? If the pursuit of scientific understanding is part of bettering all of humanity, but we cannot seem to communicate our findings to an improved general understanding of the world, what then is our true purpose? Is it all just a quest for pure truth?