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From: avr@hou2d.UUCP (Adam V. Reed)
Newsgroups: comp.ai,comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Why did the six-million dollar man run so slowly?
Message-ID: <1431@hou2d.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Jun-87 16:51:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou2d.1431
Posted: Fri Jun 12 16:51:51 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 21-Jun-87 01:27:59 EDT
References: <1337@super.upenn.edu.upenn.edu>
Distribution: world
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 19
Summary: Familiarity with slow-motion film
Xref: mnetor comp.ai:545 comp.cog-eng:132

In article <1337@super.upenn.edu.upenn.edu>, tim@linc.cis.upenn.edu (Tim Finin) writes:
> I have a similar question which might shed some light on our common
> sense notions of time and acions: why did the six million dollar man
> run so slowly?  As you recall, the six million dollar man (from the
> popular TV show in the early '70's) had bionic legs which enabled him
> to run at super-human speeds.  However, when the producers wanted to
> show him doing this, they slowed down the image of him running.  That
> is, to depict him running at incredibly fast speeds, they showed an
> image of him moving in "slow motion".
> Id like to collect explanations for this fact.

Slow motion is commonly used in TV (and before that, newsreel) reports
to represent very fast motion (e.g. in horse races and other sports
events). My guess is that this originated through use of free "photo
finish" footage, originally filmed for the use of sport-event judges,
in early movie newsreels. If my guess is right, the representation of
fast movement with slow-motion footage uses a learned but highly
familiar mental association.
				Adam Reed (hou2d!adam)