"Cars, electricity, furniture, plumbing, health, advertising, the economy, and most certainly, computers." The list you gave is almost entirely technology and

"Cars, electricity, furniture, plumbing, health, advertising, the economy, and most certainly, computers." The list you gave is almost entirely technology and math-driven. I know plenty of people who would list "emotions, families, friends, sports, celebrities" or other non-technology-based lists and claim to be equally well-educated. A focus on technology is not the only way "to understand the world around oneself"--there are plenty of people who understand non-technology parts of the world around us and expend just as much mental energy doing it. I would say that "the central divide between this community and the world at large" is not a desire to understand the world, but rather a focus on intelligent use of technology. Other very intelligent and motivated people focus their understanding on other aspects of the world.