Our team is named the Manhattan Project since we are based out of Manhattan Montana. For this season we were thinking of naming our robot after one of the atomic bombs (such as little boy or castle bravo). A couple of our team members were concerned so I thought I would ask on here, do you think we might get in trouble for having an offensive name if we did?
Might be a hot take but I don’t think you should name your robot after anything designed to kill people.
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Yeah, I would avoid the names of the bombs. Besides them being insults…
Use the scientists associated with the project. Many expressed concerns about the use of the A-bomb.
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Ok I will bring that concern up with the team. I do know the most popular name in our team at the moment is “Little Boy.” We did name it after oppenheimer last year.
Gadget
Joshua (Computer name from the movie)
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For the love of whatever you consider holy, do not use little boy or fat man for what I hope are abundantly obvious reasons.
The fact that you included little boy as an option in your post makes me think you don’t respect the history and legacy and human pain of those names well enough to be ready to use any of them for your project titles.
If the team really loves the idea and won’t let go of it, definitely stick to bombs that didn’t actually kill or injure anyone (e.g. ocean and underground tests or theoretical designs). IIRC the aboveground tests gave indigenous tribes downwind of the test range cancer…
If your team wants to maintain people’s respect, you need to know and respect world history from a global perspective before using names with that kind of power and legacy.
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Little boy could be one of three things: fact, bomb name, or insult. In this application, the first one (the mildest) doesn’t apply. And the bomb devastated a city.
Is that what you want to honor?
So actually, might be worthwhile asking them why they’re concerned.
Then ask why to that answer.
Then ask why to that answer.
Keep going till you got root cause.
That’s probably a more fruitful discussion than going to internet strangers.
But while you’re here…
Yes - “Get in trouble” is not really the wording I’d use… There’s certainly nothing wrong with the literal words of the name (indeed, don’t go burning history books that contain it).
Instead, keep in mind the context of the history you’re evoking. Unless you want people to think about atomic weapons (and all that implies), I’d be avoiding such names too.
Good communication is much less about saying things that are literally true, and much more about leaving your audience with the right impression. The robot’s name is part of that communication.
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Cool Manhattan Project robot name themes:
Project Sites : Los Alamos, Ames, Morgantown, Oak Ridge
Scientists : Albert, Edward, Hans, Robert
But please don’t name a robot “little boy”
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Thank you all for the responses. I’ll make sure we avoid using this name. It was a consideration since our robot was much smaller than last year and was an idea we tossed around.
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In line with the themeing i will suggest we use a quote from the movie or a name of a scientist instead of referencing the weapons.
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I think people are putting too much stock into a robot name. A robot’s name does zero harm to anyone at all. Name it what you want to.
WOPR (War Operation Plan Response) not Joshua, that was the password for it though. From Wargames with Matthew Broderick and Aly Sheedy. Matthew Brodericks character (David) keeps calling it Joshua throughout the movie because that’s how he was able to login.
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Better of calling it Einstein.
Your robot name is a branding choice and shows the values the team puts on arguably the most visible element of a robotics team. Many teams include it on spec sheets, brochures and it can be announced by MCs at the event. Alot of proper consideration should be taken with this.
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How many Japanese-ancestry people live in your community?
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Tbh I already look a little weirdly at robots named after warplanes.
This is… certainly a direction you can go with if you’re okay with people whispering to each other “that’s a little messed up”.
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Just make sure your robot name doesn’t accidentally violate G201. I don’t think you can get a penalty for naming a robot a specific name, but still…
Unrelated tangent regarding Manhattan, Montana
Have you ever confused someone by telling them how Amsterdam and Belgrade aren’t that far away?
please don’t try to justify the use of nuclear weaponry or name your robot after it, I dont know why this thread is still going on
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Y’all just flag as off-topic at this point.
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