Government researchers must have a Batman fetish. Perhaps that explains why so many have named their projects after him—it’s federally-funded cosplay. The question is why this odd bunch of projects bear the Dark Knight’s name.
There’s no denying that, among superheroes, the Dark Knight ranks especially high on the “coolness” factor. After all, he’s rich, wears black, owns awesome tech and works in a spacious subterranean loft. And apparently, he’s got funding from various government agencies.
Here’s a list of BATMAN projects:
Name: Battle-Management Assessment System (BATMAN) and Raid Originator Bogie Ingress (ROBIN)
Agency: Navy Personnel Research and Development Center
Description: “These software systems are being designed and developed to assess how well individuals can allocate, deploy, and manage air, surface, and/or subsurface tactical assets during simulated sea battles in many warfare areas.”
Name: Battlefield Air Targeting, Man-Aided Knowledge (BATMAN)
Agency: Department of the Air Force
Description: “Modernize the gear used by the services’ elite pararescue and forward controller units.”
Name: Bisphosphonate and Anastrozole Trial: Bone Maintenance Algorithm Assessment (BATMAN)
Agency: U.S. National Institutes of Health
Description: “The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of an oral bisphosphonate (alendronate) in preventing bone loss…”
Name: Biochronicity and Temporal Mechanisms Arising in Nature (BaTMAN) and Robustness of Biologically-Inspired Networks (RoBIN)
Agency: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Description: “Developing an understanding of the relationship between biological systems and the spatial-temporal universe through the application of advanced principles from the physical sciences.”
