Initial steps:  Discussion about topic and prospective questions

It seems strange that organisms die for reasons other than external forces? Why would evolution favor such strategies?

How common is aging/senescence/death ?

Has it had one evolutionary origin, or has it evolved (and been lost) multiple times?

Why do different organisms age in different ways? Different organisms "decay" in different ways?


- If we give them a command to choose to "die" will they use it?
 Will they take advantage of it? What sorts of benefits are required to make them take advantage of it?

"rig the system" to build organisms that take advantage of this command.
Without this extra command, when do the organisms die anyways?


Exploring:
Vary the benefits…. varying the probability of dying.
Continuous decrease in resource conversion as the organism ages (decay in organisms).


How can we address these questions with analytical approaches (mathematical modeling)?
Can we figure the probability of dying given a specific benefit (cost-benefit analysis)? Can we predict such decisions?
What happens when we relax the assumptions of these models?

What is the relevant literature (empirical? theory??)?

Does the age at which you can no longer reproduce influence the evolution of aging.
- inclusive fitness: do you help your offspring or other relatives?
- distribution of offspring production

How does aging relate to reproductive strategy?

Does wear and tear matter?  Will damaged organisms be more likely to produce damaged offspring?  (germ cells can be mutated over time).

What traits are correlated with aging?

Does differential reproductive strategies between genders play a role in the evolution of aging?