{"id":6305,"date":"2022-03-02T05:00:48","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T04:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=112709"},"modified":"2022-03-02T05:15:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T04:15:11","slug":"the-batman-could-any-of-us-become-gothams-caped-crusader","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/the-batman-could-any-of-us-become-gothams-caped-crusader\/","title":{"rendered":"The Batman: Could any of us become Gotham\u2019s caped crusader?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Stephen Kelly\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 02 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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With no superpowers to speak of, Batman is often held up as one of comic books\u2019 more realistic heroes. He does not possess super strength, nor can he fly or shoot lasers out of his eyes. He\u2019s just a simple traumatised man with a simple crimefighting dream \u2013 and billions of dollars.<\/p>\n

In theory, this should make him the easiest superhero to aspire to, but according to neuroscientist and martial arts expert E Paul Zehr<\/a>, author of Becoming Batman: The Possibility Of A Superhero<\/em>, the caped crusader is not as ordinary as he looks\u2026<\/p>\n

Physical fitness<\/h2>\n

If Batman was real, he would be the greatest athlete who ever lived. \u201cHe\u2019s a NASCAR driver, a super strong fighter, an acrobat, skilled in free-climbing and parkour,\u201d says Zehr. \u201cBut it\u2019s impossible to be a master of all those things. It\u2019s why a marathon runner looks different to a power lifter \u2013 on a physiological level those disciplines are pulling you in different directions.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Zehr, it would take almost 18 years to achieve Batman\u2019s physical aptitude, and he would need to eat at least 4,000 calories a day to maintain it.<\/p>\n

Skills<\/h2>\n

But those 18 years would not consist of just working out. Batman does not kill or use guns. It takes a lot of skill and training to fight without fatally injuring people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re in a physiologically stressful situation, your motor skills go down,\u201d says Zehr. \u201cBatman has to perform in the most demanding situations possible without the compromised motor skills that would lead to him accidentally killing someone. That takes a lot of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Injuries<\/h2>\n

It won\u2019t be the Joker who eventually takes down Batman, but his gruelling collection of injuries. \u201cYou\u2019ve got someone who is constantly picking up knocks from fighting,\u201d Zehr explains. \u201cThousands of small repetitions and stresses can lead to failure.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s probably going to have tendonitis and arthritis. He will pay for his head injuries too. Eventually he\u2019s going to be so depleted by chronic injuries he\u2019s gonna be like an athlete who can\u2019t compete any more.\u201d<\/p>\n

But surely his suit would protect him? \u201cEven if you\u2019re shot while wearing Kevlar, that\u2019s still going to break bones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\""Robert\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Robert Pattinson in The Batman<\/em> \u00a9 Warner Brothers<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Sleep<\/h2>\n

By day, he is billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne; by night, he is a man who dresses up as a bat. But when does that leave him time to sleep? \u201cFolks who are habitually sleep-deprived suffer from a reduction of cognitive flexibility,\u201d says Zehr. \u201cTheir critical thinking skills are not as good; they have memory issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Batman could take microsleeps, but that would only be a short-term strategy. \u201cAll kinds of organ systems, including spinal cord excitability for reflexes, are tied to a circadian cycle based on daylight,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re animals. And as animals, we go to sleep when it\u2019s dark out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Secret identity<\/h2>\n

Being Batman involves more than just punching mentally ill people \u2013 it means keeping your identity a secret. This, says Zehr, is difficult not only from a practical perspective, but also a neuroscientific one. \u201cFrom brain imaging, we know that it\u2019s easier for you to tell the truth. It involves less activity in different places because when you\u2019re lying, you\u2019re thinking about the lie and the thing that\u2019s the truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor somebody like Batman, that becomes a big problem because there\u2019s already so much effort everywhere else. It becomes hugely draining.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verdict: <\/strong>His sleep-deprived schedule and countless fights with thugs would leave him too knackered to keep Gotham safe.<\/p>\n