{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,8]],"date-time":"2025-10-08T15:18:11Z","timestamp":1759936691373,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2014,7,8]],"date-time":"2014-07-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1404777600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2014,7,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>\u2013 The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between information and boundaries. Life depends on boundaries; but in order to survive an organism needs to make decisions based on an interpretation of the environment beyond its boundaries: it therefore needs information.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>\u2013 The paper explores the evolution of physical, social and cultural boundaries and considers how they have shaped ways in which information is gathered and used.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>\u2013 Several evolutionary developments are reviewed. The paper argues that each one has generated an additional boundary and that each new boundary has affected the information needs within it. The paper argues that all living things use information to help address three fundamental concerns: \u201cWhere can the energy needed to stay alive be found?\u201d, \u201cHow can it be stored?\u201d, and \u201cHow can use of energy be reduced?\u201d Because these questions are fundamental at a biological level they are also fundamental at a societal level. One way to increase energy efficiency was for organisms to grow larger. This brought risks which were alleviated by the evolution of better information gathering and processing tools. Amongst these tools were the means to communicate, which afforded the evolution of social boundaries.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>\u2013 This is a new perspective on a topic of growing interest in information science and demonstrates further the significance of information as a factor in the shaping of life.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/jd-04-2013-0051","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,7,10]],"date-time":"2014-07-10T21:49:45Z","timestamp":1405028985000},"page":"676-686","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Interpreting the world across a boundary"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"70","author":[{"given":"Andrew","family":"David Madden","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2020123022273186800_b1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Amundson, R. and Lauder, G.V. 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