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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


Lawsuit Over Hijab Requirement *

Oct 20th, 2005 | Filed by

Hijabs banned in Tunisia, required by The Islamic College in Amsterdam.… Read the rest



Women who Commit Adultery Should be Killed *

Oct 20th, 2005 | Filed by

Local survey in Turkey finds 37% think so.… Read the rest



Behe Has Own Special Definition of ‘Theory’ *

Oct 20th, 2005 | Filed by

Under which, he concedes, astrology would be a scientific theory.… Read the rest



Florida, Where The Living Is Contradictory *

Oct 20th, 2005 | Filed by

Jeb embraces biotech and hires a creationist to run the school system.… Read the rest



Edward Larson on Why Evolution is Threatening *

Oct 20th, 2005 | Filed by

What sort of God would create living things through a hateful struggle for existence?… Read the rest



Orhan Pamuk Closer to ‘Them’ Than to ‘Us’ *

Oct 19th, 2005 | Filed by

Pamuk’s human, democratic attitude not approved by nationalist front in Turkey.… Read the rest



Orhan Pamuk Denies ‘Genocide’ Claim *

Oct 19th, 2005 | Filed by

Did not say: we Turks killed this many Armenians; did not use the word ‘genocide’.… Read the rest



Top Ten Books on Shelley and His Time *

Oct 19th, 2005 | Filed by

Holmes, Thompson, Foot, Peacock, Trelawny, Bloom – and a sailing manual.… Read the rest



Simon Callow on Why Ibsen Matters *

Oct 19th, 2005 | Filed by

“Ibsen the fanatical sceptic,” wrote Strindberg. “So repellent, so attractive.”… Read the rest



China Cancels Official Japanese Visit *

Oct 18th, 2005 | Filed by

Apparently in protest at Prime Minister’s attending a controversial war shrine. … Read the rest



David Hirsh ‘Against the Academic Intifada’ *

Oct 18th, 2005 | Filed by

Worrying about the connections between anti-imperialism, anti-Semitism, and hostility to Israel.… Read the rest



The Trouble With Hypotheticals *

Oct 18th, 2005 | Filed by

Thought experiments are fine and useful – until one gets you in trouble.… Read the rest



Lawsuit Against Educational Website on Evolution *

Oct 18th, 2005 | Filed by

Claims Berkeley site’s disagreement with religious interpretations violates First Amendment.… Read the rest



Pro and Anti Blogging Debate Reaches Library *

Oct 18th, 2005 | Filed by

Is blogging a legitimate dimension of mass media, or the death of all standards and accountability?… Read the rest



Archbishop Whinges About Atheists *

Oct 18th, 2005 | Filed by

Defended religious philosophies as kind of glue.… Read the rest



Teacher and Muslim School Disagree Over Hijab *

Oct 18th, 2005 | Filed by

Equality commission to rule whether school was wrong to demand she cover her head to work there.… Read the rest



Cultural Competence *

Oct 17th, 2005 | Filed by

Abject refusal to articulate or defend ideas that might make certain protected groups uncomfortable… Read the rest



A Book That Gives You Furiously to Think *

Oct 17th, 2005 | Filed by

Sartre and Beauvoir had ‘complicated attitudes’ to certain kinds of truth.… Read the rest



Shashi Tharoor Reviews Amartya Sen *

Oct 17th, 2005 | Filed by

Economist who is also sociologist, historian, political analyst, moral philosopher.… Read the rest



A S Byatt on Self-Portraits *

Oct 16th, 2005 | Filed by

Iris Murdoch believed Rembrandt’s self-portraits were a philosophic attempt on the truth.… Read the rest