Because that is surely more practical and fail safe than a UPS and big red button that digitally shreds everything ?

At my friend's physics department, there was a copy of "Options, Futures and other Derivatives" (bit of a finance bible) behind glass, with a note saying "if your academic career is in crisis, break glass and get a job in the industry" or something along these lines.

I guess this is the equivalent.

It's a joke image lifted from some LJ page.