Flight data recorders, universally known to the terrified flying public as black boxes, are actually painted bright international orange so investigators can find them in the smoldering wreckage of a crash.

A closer look

Flight data recorders, universally known to the terrified flying public as black boxes, are actually painted bright international orange so investigators can find them in the smoldering wreckage of a crash. Australian scientist David Warren invented the device in the 1950s after his father died in a plane crash, figuring it might be nice to know why metal tubes keep falling out of the sky. Aviation authorities initially rejected his invention, presumably because acknowledging that planes crash was bad for ticket sales. It took years for these indestructible little tattletales to become mandatory on commercial flights. Now, they are wrapped in titanium and can survive ocean depths, massive fires, and violent impacts. It is deeply comforting to know that long after your tray table and complimentary ginger ale are vaporized, your final moments will be perfectly preserved for federal bureaucrats to analyze over their morning coffee