Boundary extension

Biological Parallel

Predators scanning from cover mentally extend visual scenes beyond edges—orcas hunting seals mentally model the ice shelf's underwater topography extending 2-3 meters beyond visible surface. Gray wolves approaching elk herds mentally extend the visible herd boundary to include likely peripheral members. Spatial prediction systems fill in likely peripheral content because complete environmental models aid planning. Chimpanzees detour around visual obstacles based on remembered full layouts, not just visible portions. Boundary extension is predictive scene completion: memory stores not just what you saw but what probably exists beyond view, because survival often depends on anticipating what's around corners. Security analysts exhibit the same bias: when reviewing organizational charts, they infer 20-30% more reporting relationships than explicitly shown. This is memory as simulation: the brain builds fuller models than sensory input provides.