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April 27, 2012
Q. Few people think much about the simple act of opening a door by rotating a knob or pushing on a lever to release a bolt. What might motivate someone to set up a camera to record such an act?
A. Duke University civil engineering professor Henry Petroski observed his orange tabby cat Ted operating the lever on a patio door to unlock it and let himself out! “I first saw Ted open the door by himself one night when I was reading in a nearby chair,” said Petroski in American Scientist magazine. Doubtful that others would believe his cat tale, he started keeping a camera at the ready to catch Ted in the act.
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