I don't understand. Why is "they used the wrong statistical formula" worth 47 upvotes on the main article? Because people here are interested in supplementation? Because it's a fun math problem?

I am approximately cynical enough to suggest "the LessWrong community likes debunking" as a reason.

Is it worth 49 points? Almost certainly not. This indicates a flaw with the karma system, not a flaw in the post.