The EGU counts many scientists among its membership who have a great sense of responsibility for the people living in the areas where they do their research. John McCloskey, a professor at the University of Ulster, is one of them. For years, he has been studying the devastating effects of earthquakes in Indonesia. The 2004 tsunami was one of them. He and his co-workers have made remarkable progress in earthquake forecasting. (See Nature News article.) Here are some of John's ideas about why scientists need to communicate what they know to the general public.