‘In philosophy “certainty” has a specific meaning, and it means that there is no doubt.’… Read the rest
Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.
We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.
A note about links
Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.
Rust Belt Philos on life-saving abortion and ‘trust’ 
May 28th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Funny how it’s only in the case of abortion that we have to trust that God has a plan.… Read the rest
Nigel Warburton on Mohammed and the fundamentalists
May 27th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The scale of the internet censorship imposed in Pakistan is startling, and not just to “free speech fundamentalists.”… Read the rest
Jerry Coyne on whether depression is adaptive
May 27th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Depression does not meet the minimal requirements for qualifying as a biological adaptation.… Read the rest
Grayling on the Dalai Lama
May 27th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
We should endlessly iterate the obvious, that the religions are mutually exclusive, mutually blaspheming, mutually hostile, bitterly and deeply divisive, and thus a rash of open sores in the flesh of humanity.… Read the rest
Rabbi Lior: a woman’s job is to be a housewife
May 27th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A woman has enough to do inside the house.… Read the rest
No indecent euphemisms!
May 26th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“$#*!” is filthy, and it’s a shameless demonstration of contempt for families.… Read the rest
Gita Sahgal on Amnesty’s corporate amnesia
May 26th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
In many ways, Amnesty International has come to resemble the forces that it has done so much to oppose.… Read the rest
Elon Moreh: rabbi bans women from public office
May 26th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“Women who desired to affect public opinion should do so through their husbands.”… Read the rest
BBC TV is sadly secular, says presenter
May 26th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
BBC Radio, on the other hand, is very religious. Hurrah.… Read the rest
Dalai Lama on ‘one faith, many truths’
May 25th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Finds good in all religions. No good in atheism though.… Read the rest
Priest Arrested in Brazil on altar boy charges
May 25th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The third case of sexual abuse involving a priest in Brazil in the last two months. … Read the rest
Priest says better a dead woman than an abortion
May 25th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“There are some situations where the mother may in fact die along with her child,” says Rev. John Ehrich, medical ethics director for the Diocese of Phoenix.… Read the rest
Two errors and a slur
May 25th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Of Karl Giberson’s, that Jerry Coyne points out. Giberson replies, but incompletely.… Read the rest
Giberson explains about theodicy
May 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
How does Jerry Coyne know, I don’t know, nobody knows, therefore God is just.… Read the rest
Dawkins and Randi mourn Martin Gardner
May 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He was immensely lively, and brimming with youthful intelligence and curiosity, right to the end.… Read the rest
Phil Plait on Martin Gardner
May 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Martin’s books showed me how to think around some problems, how to take that needed step to the side to see the solution.’… Read the rest
Giberson to ‘new’ atheists: play nicely
May 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Cites ‘the New Atheist Noise Machine,’ says ‘the New Atheists are behaving like a boorish bunch of intellectual bullies.’ Nice.… Read the rest
David Colquhoun on the Integrated Health Trust
May 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The advisory board of IHT consists almost entirely of supporters of various forms of alternative medicine.… Read the rest
Absurd objections to the first synthetic bacterium
May 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
PZ goes through them so that you don’t have to.… Read the rest
