Chomsky - The world's top public intellectual?

Prospect magazine recently released a poll naming Chomsky as the top public intellectual. You can read some pro/con here and the limitations of the poll here.
In last month's issue, there was an interesting article by Dawkins (#3).
An excerpt:
"Medium doses of Gerin oil, though not in themselves dangerous, can distort perceptions of reality. Beliefs that have no basis in fact are immunised, by the drug's own direct effects on the nervous system, against evidence from the real world. Oil-heads can be heard talking to thin air or muttering to themselves, apparently in the belief that private wishes so expressed will come true, even at the cost of mild violation of the laws of physics. This autolocutory disorder is often accompanied by weird tics, hand gestures or other stereotypies, for example rhythmic head-nodding towards a wall."