# Rods! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 29, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rods/491197 "2009-03-29T17:45:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rods/491197/1 "2009-03-29T17:45:21Z")
> **[What’s up with “rods,” the mysterious insects that can be seen only on video?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342972/what-s-up-with-rods-the-mysterious-insects-that-can-be-seen-only-on-video)** > > A STAFF REPORT FROM THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD The “documentary” \*Rods! \*was just on television, I googled rods for the laugh and came across the Staff Report. My question is, are these programmes about rods elaborate spoofs or are there actually idiots out there who believe they are capturing something alien or unknown on their video cameras? We have Sky Digital which includes 100s of channels, some complete drivel but this “documentary” was shown on one of the channels that shows legitimate documentaries too. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rods/491197/2 "2009-03-30T20:57:26Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope, **An Gadai** , glad you found us. I got nothin’ to say about the TV programs. There’s a lot – a LOT – of gullible folks out there, and plenty of people sitting around, waiting to take the pigeons. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rods/491197/3 "2009-03-30T22:26:08Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Welcome to the Straight Dope, **An Gadai** , glad you found us. :dubious: Member since 2007? I’m thinking we’ve been found for a while. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rods/491197/4 "2009-03-30T23:39:07Z")
Many people prefer to believe they’re seeing evidence of paranormal phenomena. They find it more interesting than mundane explanations. If they stopped and thought about it, the mundane explanations fit the facts just fine, and are more plausible. But they don’t want to stop and think about it. Playing devil’s advocate though; there was never anything wrong with saying there was _something unknown_ being captured by their cameras. If I’d seen something like that on one of my home photos, prior to all the fallout about rods, I wouldn’t have known what it was either. I’d have probably posted the picture on General Questions 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rods/491197/5 "2009-03-31T00:29:18Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > :dubious: Member since 2007? I’m thinking we’ve been found for a while. 🆒 Whoops. I read the bit about googling getting to a staff report, and leaped to an erroneous conclusion. Or, wait? What year is this, right now, where we are? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rods/491197/6 "2009-03-31T02:03:39Z")
It’s the 12th year of the 293rd m’Akhtar, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rods/491197/7 "2009-03-31T08:24:36Z")
If you think rods are funny, google orbs some time – they’re what convinced me that there must be some spiritual analogue to rule 34: no matter how ludicrous any given idea, there are people out there to whom it is the most sacred tenet of their faith. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rods/491197/8 "2009-03-31T12:07:18Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Whoops. I read the bit about googling getting to a staff report, and leaped to an erroneous conclusion. > > Or, wait? What year is this, right now, where we are? When I get to my 8000th post I’ll no longer be a n00b? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rods/491197/9 "2009-03-31T12:08:38Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Playing devil’s advocate though; there was never anything wrong with saying there was _something unknown_ being captured by their cameras. If I’d seen something like that on one of my home photos, prior to all the fallout about rods, I wouldn’t have known what it was either. > I’d have probably posted the picture on General Questions 🙂 In the case of this documentary it was quite obvious IMHO what the “rods” were.