Elegant degradation is a term used in engineering to describe what occurs to machines which are subject to constant, repetitive stress.
Externally, such a machine maintains the same appearance to the user, appearing to function properly. Internally, the machine slowly weakens over time. Unable to withstand the stress, it eventually breaks down.[1] Compared tograceful degradation, the operational quality does not decrease at all, but the breakdown may be just as sudden.[2]
This term's meaning varies depending on context and field, and may not be strictly considered exclusive to engineering. For instance, this is used as a mechanism in the food industry as applied in the degradation oflignin,cellulose,pentosan, andpolymers, among others.[3] The concept is also used to extract chemicals such as the elegant degradation ofPaederus fuscipes to obtainpederin and hemiacetal pseuodopederin.[4] In this process degradation is induced by heat. A play with the same name also used it as a metaphor for the current state of the world.[1][5]
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