This might be up there as some of the stupidest government spending of the year, and it involves a survey about superheroes conducted by our Canadian friends to the north. A study by the research arm of the Canadian National Defense asked whether superheroes can “fly through the air, see through walls, hear whispers from miles away, become invisible, and walk through walls.” Somehow this online survey which only had 150 people involved cost $14,000.

This was all part of a study from October to “help the Canadian Forces win the hearts and minds of the local populations it faces when deployed overseas, such as recently in Afghanistan.” The above questions were part of a “supernatural” category.

The study was carried out by Toronto researcher M. Afzal Upal for the Defence Research and Development Canada, or DRDC. The University of Toronto received $13,750 of the amount. DRDC staff were also involved.

From a summary of the research:

This work will not only allow cultural scientists to better understand the spread of non-natural and religious concepts but also allow the Canadian Armed Forces … to design messages that are more memorable for their target audiences.

The results were general agreement that superheroes can fly and leap over skyscrapers, but there was less agreement whether they can walk through walls or become invisible.

All of this is during a time of defense budget cuts. The justification is this was a way to test messaging in certain populations and is part of their “psychological operations” or “PSYOPS.” PSYOPS are designed to influence attitudes and behaviors and in this case as a tool for the military to meet and complete their objectives.