Commuters wouldn't give up their seats - but Batman changed everything

The mere presence of a man dressed as The Caped Crusader increases altruism by two-thirds

Batman can inspire you to be a better person. The appearance of the Dark Knight on the Milan metro system had a remarkable impact on the usually grumpy commuters.

The testy travellers suddenly became more altruistic. When a pregnant woman boarded the train, people were far more likely to give up their seats when Gotham's finest was keeping a watchful eye nearby.

A study by psychologists from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore found that the mere presence of a man dressed as The Caped Crusader increased altruism by two-thirds.

The research links to theories of behavioural disruption, where novelty or surprise forces the brain to reassess its surroundings. Typically, we go through our days on auto