This is something like a "culture" article, answering not "what does a Reactor Operator do?" (operate the reactor, duh), but "what is a Reactor Operator like?".
Describing them in this joking, colorful way give readers more of a feel of the Reactor Operator archetype than a bland "they were the people who scored highest on the standardized test for the navy". It's trying to convey the feeling that "these are the nerdiest people on boat full of nerdy people".
Describing them in this joking, colorful way give readers more of a feel of the Reactor Operator archetype than a bland "they were the people who scored highest on the standardized test for the navy". It's trying to convey the feeling that "these are the nerdiest people on boat full of nerdy people".