Blink

Actual Elapsed Time: 5/10ths of a second

The blink of the eye protects the eye from injury and wipes it clean of dirt particles. The movement of the lids across the surface also spreads a layer of tears to keep the eye surface moist. By slowing down the action of a blink, we can see that the upper eyelid does most of the work. However, the lower lid moves, too. Notice that the shutting of the eye is much faster - almost twice as fast - as the opening of the blink.

How This Clip Was Made:

This slow-motion video was created using a special video camera that takes 250 images a second, as opposed to only 30 images a second for a normal video camera. The video was then digitized and transferred to a computer. The action was slowed down even more by displaying each image twice. Production: Paul Shain, Bob Hone, Heidi Frieze. Post-Production: Brennan Doyle. Special Thanks: Dick Freeborg, NAC Visual Systems.

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