Good question. I suspect this is not a new phenomenon, but maybe its become worse due to technology. We are beginning to hit the up swing on an exponential graph, meaning change is going to happen at an ever accelerating pace. Therefore, the gap between the average person and the expert becomes larger. Closing this gap requires, at least in my opinion, not just more but better public engagement, such as simple, fun, and easy to understand books, podcasts, etc. People like Neil deGrasse Tyson are already involved in this but he is among the few. Open university courses, presentations, etc. can be effective but, like you said, these are not being attended by the average person. I’d like to see normal scientists, not just celebrity scientists, engage with the public.