I think you err in inferences about EY's degree of consumption based on his ease of recall. Given his extreme intelligence, we would expect him to have extraordinary recall relative to almost everybody with similar habits of consumption. Reading/viewing just moderately more than your average avid reader/viewer and having an extraordinary memory seems more than sufficient to explain this case.
Perhaps. Short of testimony from EY or testing him, I can't know directly whether it's great recall or great consumption.
And I think your criticism is not really valid given that EY is the mad scientist of the organization. It would be more appropriate -- if relevant, which it doesn't seem to be -- leveled at Michael Vassar, the President of SIAI.
I'll fall back on what I've said before: even if EY is not actually spending so much time on consuming media that it's detrimental to his performance, the appearance is still damaging. What are the odds that every potential donor who sees things like this will just go 'oh, that lovable-scamp/mad-scientist EY!'?
I dunno about you, but in the time period I was raised in, the archetype of 'mad scientist' didn't include "loves fanfiction". (Leaving aside entirely how relevant or important Michael Vassar may or may not be in fundraising & public outreach.)
I think of Feynman as the archetypal mad scientist, and while I don't think he happened to love fanfiction (and actually, don't we mean "writes fanfiction"?), I wouldn't have been surprised to have found out that he did and I wouldn't have thought less of him if he did.
I think the real issue is not that "writes fanfiction" is not part of the archetype but that you have (or think others will have) some kind of moral/emotional reaction to "writes fanfiction" that causes you to think about it in different terms than "writes ...
So I'd intended this story as a bit of utterly deranged fun, but it got out of control and ended up as a deep philosophical exploration, and now those of you who care will have to wade through the insanity. I'm sorry. I just can't seem to help myself.
I know that writing crossover fanfiction is considered one of the lower levels to which an author can sink. Alas, I've always been a sucker for audacity, and I am the sort of person who couldn't resist trying to top the entire... but never mind, you can see for yourself.
Click on to read my latest story and first fanfiction, a Vernor Vinge x Greg Egan crackfic.