Rod (cryptozoology)
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Rods, a rather new entry in the field of Cryptozoology, are creatures said to flit about in the air at such a high speed as to not be seen by the naked eye. Practically all sightings of rods are based on video evidence, due to the propensity of video cameras to produce characteristic stroboscopic artifacts when imaging rapidly flying insects.
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Description
Rods are insects that fly at such a fast speed they appear elongated on film. They are often thought to be extraterrestrial or extradimensional creatures, though it has been proven that this is not the fact. Rods gain their name from their rodlike shape. However, they have also been called "flying rods", "skyfish" and "solar entities". They appear to be anywhere from 5 inches to 1 meter in length, and are thought to have a thin membrane across their axis that is used for propulsion through the air. Their behaviour as captured on film leads studiers of the phenomenon to posit they are a kind of "air-fish", moving in a similar fashion to fish in water, and having a body like that of a jellyfish.Theories
Rods are not taken seriously even by most cryptozoologists, who tend to look on them as forteana. Much evidence points to the conclusion that they are mere tricks of light that affect the camera eye. In particular, the fast passage before the camera of an insect flapping its wings has been shown to produce rod-like effects, due to motion blur. Additional criticism points to the very speed of the film being physically unable to capture something that moves so fast. Their recent popularity seems to be a result of media exposure in television tabloids. Jose Escamilla, who runs the website [RoswellRods.com], has appeared in numerous interviews and television "investigations".Flying Rod mystery solved
In the early autumn of 2005, news bulletins in China and Hong Kong reported on a story which debunked the flying rods. Surveillance cameras in a research facility in Jilin supposedly captured video footage of flying rods identical to those shown in Jose Escamilla's video. The curious research staff of the facility, being scientists, decided that they would attempt to catch one. Huge nets were set up and the same surveillance cameras captured rods flying into the trap. When the nets were inspected, the "rods" were no more than regular moths and other flying insects. Subsequent investigations proved that the appearance of flying rods on video was an optical illusion created by the slower recording speed of the camera (done to save video space).Reproducing the \"Flying Rod\" effect on video
First, find a place with lots of flying insects. Then set your digital camera (on video mode) or camcorder to its slowest exposure speed (1/60 second is the slowest speed for an NTSC camcorder). Aim the camera to a fixed spot with insects flying left and right, and start recording. Lighting the target area with a light source will enhance the rod-like effect as light is reflected from the flying insect. The resulting video footage will have flying rod-like effects in place of the flying insects.Rods in fiction
- There is an enemy in the video game called Sky Fish, which normally appears in some places in the game as a white flash blitzing across the screen. The game itself also provides a Time-Stopper ability for the hero to actually see Sky Fish moving in slow-motion, and this is the only way to defeat it.
- Rods are also mentioned in the anime Zettai Shounen as being possibly related to the flying objects seen in the valley where the story takes place.
- The anime series Eureka Seven contains rod-like creatures known as skyfish. They main differences are that they are shaped more like boomerangs than rods and are easily seen in flight by the naked eye. Their wingless flight is explained as a result of their ability to "surf" on light particles in the air, like a solar sail.
- In the Cthulhu Mythos short story The Terror from the Depths by Fritz Leiber, rod-like underground creatures called winged worms torment the main character with the idea that he might be destined to become one of them (in a soul connection resembling the imagery used by the otherkin subculture).
- In the role-playing game d20 Modern in the d20 Menace Manual, Rods are listed as extra-terrestrial insects which are attracted to psionic energy and pose a threat to persons who use psionics by flying at them at extremely high velocity.
External links
- [Jose Escamilla's "Rods" Video Sequences (a very thorough debunking)]
- [Straight Dope report: What's up with "rods," the mysterious insects that can be seen only on video?]
- [Shannon L. Story's Rods: Facts or Fiction, You Decide]
- [Scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the video link to watch a documentary produced by Zhejiang TV debunking the flying rod (in Chinese)]
- [Sci-Fi Show:Proof Positive Evidence/Paranormal:Rods] On 3-22-06, at 15:00 (3 pm), The Sci-Fi Channel had shown this matter, episode involving these rod-like creatures.
- [The Cryptid Zoo: Air Rods in Cryptozoology]
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