# Technical Obsolescence **Domain:** Infrastructure / Time / Continuity **Doc Type:** Canonical Risk Node **Maturity:** Developed ## Definition **Technical obsolescence** is the loss of practical usability caused by unsupported hardware, formats, interfaces, skills or institutional dependencies rather than destruction of the stored object itself. ## Evolutionary Nexus Semiconductor scaling and changing scientific instruments in [[articles/The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley|The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley]] show that technical progress continually changes the receiving environment. ## Continuity Context A preserved archive can become unreachable when its interpreter disappears. Continuity therefore requires migration, emulation, documentation and the right to export before a custodian or platform abandons support. ## See Also [[wiki/Hot Interpreter and Cold Archive|Hot Interpreter and Cold Archive]], [[wiki/Continuity Stack|Continuity Stack]], [[wiki/Portability|Portability]], [[wiki/Moore's Law|Moore's Law]]