I'm not sure I agree. I think that understanding that knowledge is never done, and that science is about exploring new ideas and questioning our current understanding is much more important to the layperson than knowing how atoms are structured.

I also think that couching science as a journey--a mystery to be solved, with clues and red herrings along the way--will help to get students interested in learning the details. (This is all just my gut instinct; I have no experience in science education, so I might not know what I'm talking about).