Disposable Soma Theory
Products age and die because companies reallocate R&D to new products.
Proposed by Thomas Kirkwood (1977), disposable soma theory explains aging as an allocation strategy rather than a defect. Natural selection optimizes for reproductive success, not longevity. The body (soma) is disposable - evolution only cares that organisms survive long enough to reproduce. After reproduction, maintenance investment declines. Evidence includes Pacific salmon (zero post-reproductive survival), mayflies (live 1-2 days as adults, no digestive system), and marsupial mice (Antechinus males die from immune system collapse after 12-14 hours of continuous mating). Aging represents reallocation of resources away from maintenance toward reproduction.
Business Application of Disposable Soma Theory
Products age and die because companies reallocate R&D to new products. The iPhone 6 doesn't get updates forever - Apple allocates resources to iPhone 15. The 'disposable product' strategy parallels disposable soma: maintain products only until next generation is ready, then reallocate.
Discovery
Thomas Kirkwood (1977)
Reframed aging from biological failure to strategic resource allocation - organisms invest just enough in maintenance to reach reproduction, then reallocate to reproduction itself