# See Spot. See Spot Run.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-spot-see-spot-run/261320>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 24, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-spot-see-spot-run/261320 "2004-08-24T19:38:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-spot-see-spot-run/261320/1 "2004-08-24T19:38:30Z")

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What’s up with seeing spots and squiggles? When I look at a a plain surface, such as a white ceiling or a blue sky or a snowfield, I see little dots and squiggles. When I turn my eyes, the dots and squiggles go with them. This has been the case with me at least since I was a teenager. My girlfriend has seen them only twice, and she freaked both times.

Is this something I should worry about? Is this common? Does it have a name?

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-spot-see-spot-run/261320/2 "2004-08-24T19:46:21Z")

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**Cecil Adams** on [What are those threads that float in your field of vision?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_311.html)

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-spot-see-spot-run/261320/3 "2004-08-24T19:48:41Z")

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They’re called floaters, or, if you want to get technical, [vitreous opacities](http://www.healthopedia.com/flashes-and-floaters/).

Nothing to worry about, they’re just stray cells and other gubbins floating around inside your eyeball.

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-spot-see-spot-run/261320/4 "2004-08-24T19:49:30Z")

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I see squiggly people…

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**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-spot-see-spot-run/261320/5 "2004-08-24T20:22:32Z")

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Ah. So I don’t have to look in my toilet if I want to see floaters.

Thanks, peeps!