A recent issue of the American Physical Society newsletter (2007) described the various reactions that research physicists have to the NSF requirement that grant applications seeking support for basic research include a section describing the broader societal impact of the work and ways in which investigators propose to bring their work to the attention of the wider community. At a time when science is under attack by various factions, competition for research money is keen, tenure track positions in some disciplines are scarce, and fewer young Americans seem to be attracted to scientific careers, we need to intensify our efforts to reach out to the public to explain why our work is significant. This month’s column describes how the teaching scientists and science educators who read JCST can help.