heh..
this is one of those topics which has "existed from the start".
have watched people put phones in fridges along time ago..
(almost knocking myself out with a face palm heh)
one word; Schematics.
Technical diagrams exist for a reason..
In this context - they are not 'trade secret' IP..
Progressing development of, anything really - doesn't go very far (or well) without collaboration - especially in the context of Electrical Engineering..
Just like the unicorn reference (that was a good one, btw)..
There is a middle ground between source code, and finding someone who doesn't just have specific high end equipment, but also an actual understanding of how to utilise it properly.
(very much including an ability to accurately read the data, in this context)
(also, have an image of 'ghost hunters' in my mind currently..?)
The very term 'hacking' has its origins in this exact arena;
Disassembling a physical device in order to learn and understand how it and its components work. :)