The Constant Search: A Study of Information Phenomena in ‘Lost’ by Andrea Lau

Abstract

Time travel, true love and information-seeking behaviour converge on televisual terrain in
this study of how a character on ‘Lost’ tries to make sense of his predicament in the season four
episode ‘The Constant.’ To devoted viewers, each chapter in the story is fraught with meaning -
screenshots were analyzed, sounds were played in reverse, names and numbers were treated as
potential clues to the show’s many mysteries. This paper focuses on a single hour in the labyrinth of
‘Lost’ and examines how memory, expertise, and trust are instrumental in bridging information gaps.
In addition, this foray into imaginary information spaces describes the mechanics of collecting data
from the fictional field and analyzing it within the context of sense-making theory.

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