Amazing for the capacity of humans to make anything seem naughty. ;^)

Getting back on the main subject of this thread, one reason that the
general public has such a varying view of astronomers and scientists in
general is what C. P. Snow famously called The Two Cultures.

I well remember in college how the arts and humanities and sciences
were kept separate both physically and culturally, except when students
had to take required "core" courses, which many considered to be a
burden on both sides of the fence.

I never found it natural or acceptable that the two worlds should be so
separated and I knew how much damage this attitude did towards
education and understanding overall. The day they stopped calling
certain folks natural philosophers and started labeling them scientists
was probably the start of it all.

An excellent article on The Two Cultures is here:

http://philosophyofscienceportal.blogspot.com/2009/05/two-cultures-c-p-snow.html