This device is the result of a combination of magic and anisotropic principles. You are already taking strides toward a comprehension of magic. [Even putting in an effort to learn it gives Hal an edge.] The anisotropic is similar to this world's understanding of magic. It is simply another set of rules that can be understood if time is given to learn them. You are an engineer, so you already possess the foundation required to begin comprehending simple anisotropy.

[Anisotropy is just hyper-advanced physics, after all. Even so, there are limits to what humans can comprehend as they currently are.]