This is funny to me because I've had discussions surrounding the thesis of the title with my in-laws, about building materials. Vinyl lumber is great for areas

This is funny to me because I've had discussions surrounding the thesis of the title with my in-laws, about building materials. Vinyl lumber is great for areas prone to excessive shade and moisture, because it's so resistant to rot. Put it in full sun though, and it eventually turns to plastic powder. Some lumber is the opposite, though: it's difficult to maintain in wet shade because it gets destroyed by fungi and moss; put it in the sun, though, and take care of it, and it can last for a long time. It's interesting to me UV light and rot are coming up in a totally different context, as it points to the importance of these two types of decay phenomena. The other, of course, is physical force, in the form of wind or physical impact. But in the absence of that the two great destroyers are microbes and radiation.