You downvote, but realistically that's what Tor contributors/operators wind up doing a lot of time.

But some people have decided -- for a number of understandable reasons -- that Tor is actually a good thing to help with.

Everyone's got different ideas of worthwhile uses of their time. Some people love contributing to something; others won't spend 5 minutes on it. It has to do with desire, goals, values, and passion, rather than strictly mathematical aptitude, as you suggested.