CHR 10, INT 2

see this question is the source of what's probably my oldest wacko fallout theory. i think the pipboys can do molecular deconstruction and storage, and that's how your inventory works. you can hold your pipboy up to an item like a barcode scanner and the inventory function will break it down, organize its molecules, store them like data, and then when you select it from your inventory it rematerializes perfectly. this is how i've always rationalized being able to carry around a fat man or an entire power armor chassis while still having a hand free to fight with. it's also how i think about storing items you might have dozens of like stimpaks and chems, or thousands of like caps. carryweight being more like data storage capacity than a pack you have to lug around.

as for the medical measurement and altering of SPECIAL stats, that leads to one of my less wacko theories that most models of pipboy, when worn "properly", have some sort of IV-like access to your bloodstream. the closest thing i can think of to SPECIAL stats that we have are hormone levels hilariously enough, and you sure can measure and change those through medical means. this also serves the double purpose of explaining how we're able to tank 4 stimpaks and 3 different chems all at once without having to perform seven animations. the proper "installation" of an average pipboy involving what's more or less an IV placement is a concept that feels like it would fit so well with the weird comical freakiness of Fallout Science™. maybe it's fast like an epipen except the needle stays there. who knows