[UA] Avatar: The Mentally Ill Mathematician?

[Gaston at math.sunysb.edu]

The Mentally Ill Mathematician
 "The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who
make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians
have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine
man in the bonds of Hell."
-St. Augustine

"Poets do not go mad; but chess players do.  Mathematicians go mad, and
cashiers; but creative artists very seldom.  I am not attacking logic: I
only say that this danger does lie in logic, not in imagination."
-G.K. Chesterton

"The Mentally Ill Mathematician seems now in some ways to be what the
Knight Errant, Mortified Saint, Tortured Artist, and Mad Scientist have
been for other areas: sort of our Prometheus, the one who goes to
forbidden places and returns with gifts we all can use, but he alone pays
for."
-David Foster Wallace

In Aboriginal Culture, the Archetype first ascended as the Firebringer. 
Then, through the ages, the archetype changed with a series of ascensions,
until Cantor or whomever ascended in the early 20th century as the MIM.

(John Nash was probably a Godwalker.  His recovery may indicate another
ascension, and the Archetype changing once more?)

Higher channels have to do with inseminating his works and ideas into mass
culture. Fire to the cavemen, nihilism to the 20th century, and so forth.
The archetype is generally about creating (in the words of Alan Moore
through Warren Ellis) mad and beautiful ideas. The archetype is most
evident not only in your broken down mathematicians but in the tortured
and angsty post-modern artists trying to be the next Van Gogh as well as
your socially inept computer programmers.

Channels:
1-50% "It all makes sense." Take a failed mark in a madness meter in
exchange for retroactive success (ala Entropomancy's I Win) on a
Mind-based roll.

51-70% "Blow your mind." Wherein whatever crazy new idea the MIM is
bringing to society ("Man can make fire??" "Time is relative?" "I can't
believe it's not butter!") is so revolutionary that it can actually cause
an Unnatural stress check equal to the tens digit of the avatar skill.

71-90% "Culture Bomb", in which your work becomes the talk of whatever
field your in and splashes over into mainstream culture, for the next few
weeks [equal to your Avatar's tens digit] as long as you can steer a
conversation or crowd towards your field, you can flip flop any Soul
skill.

91+%
-----------------------

This rocks.

As far as symbols, I think poor grooming (wild, unkempt hair) is
essential.  Hollow, sleepless eyes.  But what else?  Ill-fitting clothes? 
I'm tempted to say 'Raincoats and Sneakers,' since that phrase was once
used to describe John Nash to me.

Culture Bomb seems a little... I dunno.  A lot of past avatars only
achieved posthumous recognition, after all.  Being misunderstood is, I
think, a large part of the archetype.  But I may be confusing Prometheus
and Cassandra.

Also, what would the taboo be?  Admitting your theory is false?  Does a
MIM need to have a theory?  After all, one should just be able to /act/
like a MIM to channel the archetype.  So what makes an appropriate taboo?

And, finally, what's the big-whammy channel?  Prophesying?  Recieving
mystical insights?