[PatriotGames]

Was this absurd statement really written by someone with a physics background?

I was thinking the exact same thing as I read the article.

[Lessismore]

Was this absurd statement really written by someone with a physics background?

Highly unlikely. It may have started out with a manuscript or notes from a physicist, but it looks like the usual science popularization work of a tech writer trying to make it intelligible for the masses (including those masses providing monetary support for the institution).