It's just a writing device, in this case. The contrast of mundane detail and the...

aasasd on July 6, 2019 | parent | context | favorite | on: Goodbye Aberration: Physicist Solves 2,000-Year-Ol...

It's just a writing device, in this case. The contrast of mundane detail and the high calling. Used all the time, e.g. NYT's style has pretty much devolved to the formula “begin with the details, then introduce the central topic.”