It was an eagle. Hominids had to look up as well as around.… 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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
Maori Community and Fire Brigade Community
Jan 13th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘Memorandum will help the Maori community and the fire brigade understand each other’s cultures.’… Read the rest
Oxford Police Horse Homophobia Case Dropped
Jan 13th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonStudent said to officer, ‘Excuse me, do you realise your horse is gay?’ Bystanders were offended.… Read the rest
Pastor Arrested Over ‘Child Witchcraft’ Cruelty
Jan 13th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAllegedly advised parents to beat devil out of them or send them to DRC so that he could pray for them to be killed.… Read the rest
Eyebrows Raised at Public Order Act
Jan 13th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAnd investigation of Sacranie for merely stating an opinion.… Read the rest
Johann Hari in Praise of Richard Dawkins
Jan 13th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonOnly as you watch the film do you realise how rare it is to hear arguments against organised superstition.… Read the rest
Hundreds Killed in Hajj Stampede
Jan 12th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonBottleneck happened near stone walls representing the devil that are pelted with stones.… Read the rest
Yet More Guardian Mush About ‘Faith’
Jan 12th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonFamiliar, woolly, starry-eyed.… Read the rest
Sacranie Under Investigation
Jan 12th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonPerhaps he said something in the hearing of someone who might be distressed thereby.… Read the rest
Rochdale Council Sued Over ‘Satanic Abuse’ Case
Jan 12th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSocial services thought they had uncovered a group of ritual devil worshippers.… Read the rest
Horowitz Admits Not Having Evidence
Jan 12th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSays criticism is nit-picking, and that ‘everybody knows’.… Read the rest
Criticism of ‘Academic Bill of Rights’
Jan 12th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonCall for ‘other viewpoints’ could invite Holocaust deniers or creationists to demand equal time.… Read the rest
Satanic Abuse Panic in Rochdale
Jan 11th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonA judge ruled there was no evidence, but the children were taken away all the same.… Read the rest
Fundamentalism and Freedom
Jan 11th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonLife in a cardboard box is essentially liberating for women.… Read the rest
Richard Dawkins is not a Great Fan of Religion
Jan 11th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘We treat it with a politically correct reverence that we don’t accord to any other institution.’… Read the rest
Politicians Commit Terminological Inexactitudes
Jan 11th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonJulian Baggini on the morality of lying.… Read the rest
We Are Not Who We Think We Are
Jan 11th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonInability to predict shifts of Supreme Court justices reflects fundamental attribution error.… Read the rest
Ishtiaq Ahmed on What Intellectuals Should Do
Jan 11th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonConcerned intellectuals must see to it that open debate and the right to criticise is never compromised. … Read the rest
Norman Geras on Crimes Against Humanity
Jan 10th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe idea of crimes against humanity is a new one, and needs justification and defense.… Read the rest
Chris Mooney on the Kitzmiller Decision
Jan 10th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonPropaganda campaigns are one thing, and courtrooms are another. Fortunately.… Read the rest