[tarakat]

One difference is intent. The computer logging was somewhat incidental (but not entirely benign, so we shouldn't give it a pass without thinking), while the heat sensors are there very deliberately.

The other difference is territoriality. The students very acutely (and accurately) perceived the sensors as intruders in their space. This may be a crude animal instinct, but it's there for a reason. Permit one intrusion, and more will follow.