Yes, articles like it (and some much more pedestrian) have made the front page in the last year or so, and I'm not sure why. Possibly I just didn't notice them before. Or maybe I'm getting smarter! :D
Ironically, everyone in this thread complaining about the submission not being appropriate for HN are violating the guidelines.
> What satisfies your intellectual curiosity may not be the same for someone else.
I pretty clearly said the same in GP.