Given how often it's been mentioned here, it's likely that this is an urban legend that people are pretending to have first-hand knowledge of for karma. In a trade that's supposed to be led by people trained in sciences, no less!

(A more charitable interpretation would be that aforementioned CTO was making a joke that didn't land.)

or its so old, people would make the joke and interns would repeat it unwittingly. no one has to consciously be lying for this type of meme to continue spreading.