Obscure skills

I've found an object like a puzzle box, and I simply must gain the power to open it. This is a disease that afflicts many of my kind, and sadly there is no cure. We strive for obscure information and skills, but mostly these are afforded the same combination of respect and pity you would give to someone who memorises the phone book. The allusion to Rain Man is completely intentional.

Mokalus of Borg

PS - The locked box is the toilet roll dispenser.
PPS - It should require a key, but you can open it with a bent paperclip.