Black boxes have been a staple of aviation safety for over half a century, providing crucial data into the causes of plane crashes. David Warren, a research scientist in Australia, played a key role in developing the first black box in the late 1950s. These days, black boxes can withstand the harshest of conditions, including 2,000-degree fires, and have proved invaluable in helping to recreate the moments leading up to a plane crash. However, much of the airline industry remains ambivalent about streaming data in real time, which could avert crashes in the first place and may eventually sound the death knell for the black box.
https://www.afar.com/magazine/how-black-boxes-changed-air-travel