We don't do science for the general public. We do it for each other.

Depends on what you mean by “for”. We do do it with taxpayers' money.

Try explaining anything scientific to your friends -- you soon won't have any.

It depends on who your friends are -- and if someone stopped being my friend due to my attempt to explain something scientific to them, thank goodness that they no longer are. (How the hell is that a rationality quote anyway?)