Can one use Spellcraft or Detect Magic to understand the workings of a magical device, like a trap or a teleporter?
Case-in-point: There is a certain AP which has a room with levers and "floating spheres of mist" which act as teleporters. One of the levers affects the destination of the teleporters, and each sphere teleports to a different location. This is not the first time we've seen teleporters in Paizo adventures. I was curious if an astute PC could use his skills to decipher and understand such magical devices and save the PCs a lot of trouble...?
Well, yes, that's what one of Spellcraft's many uses are. You could also, as a GM, rule for Knowledge(arcana)'s "active spell effect" check too.
They could identify the spells used in the device (like the teleporter) but I doubt they could identify how the lever affects the teleporter or where the teleport would take them.