>You obviously know more on this stuff than me, but the fact that it was locked up in a museum and kept away from close examination could mean that there might be more to it. It's locked up and under glass for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with being secretive. They have it protected so that the bells can continue to ring as long as possible. Any handling of it, physical disturbances and even changing humidity can upset the delicate electrostatic charges in the device and stop the bells from ever ringing again. They also have it acoustically isolated as to not have external sound influencing the bells, but of course this also makes it so the bells cannot heard either. The whole apparatus is incredibly delicate and sensitive so they are trying to preserve this rare treasure for future generations to marvel at as well. There are many highly protected and cared for experiments such as the "pitch drop experiment" at the Queensland University in Australia (https://smp.uq.edu.au/pitch-drop-experiment). These long running experiments will generally surpass any human's lifetime, but by caring for them and preserving them properly, we pass the wonder of experimentation and scientific splendor forward to those we will never meet in time.