Temporal aliasing

Temporal aliasing occurs when a signal is sampled or recorded at a rate too low to accurately capture its changes over time, causing fast or high-frequency movements to appear slower, repeated, or distorted. Think of it like recording a spinning wheel with a camera; if the camera's frame rate isn’t high enough, the wheel might appear to spin backward or stand still. This phenomenon can lead to misinterpretations of the actual motion or signals, which is why choosing an appropriate sampling rate—above the Nyquist frequency—is essential for accurately capturing dynamic events.