I was delighted to provide a keynote for the Dutch research funding organization NWO, focused on the role we adopt in science as public intellectuals. It was as much a call to action, as a statement about the value of being publicly present as an academic.
My main point was that our absence from public life leaves the world vulnerable to those for whom information serves simply to reinforce their power and the independent academic is a crucial component of democracy.
Luckily, we have a lot of really remarkable scholars who are taking up this challenge and occupying the role of public intellectual. So, we have a lot to be optimistic. A key factor though, will be for us all to remain digitally agile, so that we can cut through the noise of digital media, but also make the most of the latest platforms that are available.