Locks are a clever mechanical trick.
Brilliant scientists are often able to figure out just how they work, even without seeing their innards.
Well, when my key stuck in a small lock in my possession, I ended up taking it apart to get the key out. Then, I tried to put it back together. After all, a clever engineer could do it, right?
The good news is that I figured out how it works and what all the bits do: I could put it back together!
The bad news is that I lost some parts, making reassembling it rather difficult.
The conclusion is that I'm a clever enough engineer, just a crappy technician.