The expression is often used in computing contexts to refer to the persistent use of outdated (also called legacy) software and hardware technology. Interestingly, it has also been adopted by biologists to refer to the way that even living organisms retain features which are no longer useful or relevant. The QWERTY story is an analogy for the way in which biological anomalies get incorporated into living things, such as the existence of wisdom teeth, or the fact that the nerve connections in our eyes are back-to-front.