Oh, the power of preservatives.

Preservatives are basically a form of dark magic or some type of cool sorcery, we think. Because these chemicals can pretty much do anything, including keep a Twinkie looking mighty tasty and (mostly) intact for well over three decades.

It was recently revealed that a single Twinkie, dating back to 1976, is still in one piece. The Hostess snack cake was originally part of a classroom experiment at George Stevens Academy in Maine. At the time, science teacher Roger Bennatti decided to test the limits of the preservatives and the cream-filled confection by placing it on a shelf next to his desk, where it sat for over 28 years.

36 whopping years later, the Twinkie is still around. It now sits (uneaten) in a glass case in the dean of students' office at the very same school, and looks pretty unscathed by time (notice we said LOOKS, guys). Despite all of the time that's gone by, it hasn't grown any weird mold -- yet! But truth be told, we're not sure how we should feel about this -- happy? Sad? Amazed? Relieved? Hungry?

Sure, Hostess fans are mourning the fact that Twinkies may soon be en route to extinction, but perhaps that doesn't matter -- if you happen to stumble upon one of these sweet treats, you'll know you can hoard save it for a couple years until that rainy day or special occasion… or maybe not. Just, uh, let us know how it goes, okay?

via WCBV.com