What’s the New York Times doing publishing astrology on the Op-ed page?… 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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
Amartya Sen on the Values of the Environment 
Feb 3rd, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
People are agents whose freedoms matter, not just patients with living standards.… Read the rest
‘Great stories, and some of them are even true’
Feb 3rd, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Punk journalism is sparky, sexy, non-boring, what everyone is saying.… Read the rest
Alternative to Female Genital Mutilation?
Feb 2nd, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Would a symbolic cut prevent worse, or endorse a terrible practice?… Read the rest
Robert Merton and Serendipity
Feb 2nd, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The importance of accident and luck in research.… Read the rest
Empty Bookshelves and Closed Minds?
Feb 1st, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sumanta Banerjee on censorship by fundamentalist religious protests.… Read the rest
Silent Protestors at BORI
Feb 1st, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Citizens protest vandalism at Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.… Read the rest
Georgia Removes ‘Evolution’
Feb 1st, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
State education officials delete controversial word from science guidelines.… Read the rest
Evolution is a ‘Buzzword’
Feb 1st, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Not going to be teaching the monkeys-to-man sort of thing.… Read the rest
This is Parody, Right?
Jan 31st, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
No, apparently not. Amazing stuff.… Read the rest
What Does Rosenhan’s Hoax Show?
Jan 31st, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
That labels influence diagnosis? That diagnosis is mere labeling?… Read the rest
A Past Master at Having It Both Ways
Jan 30th, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘trying to create a kind of moral-political Theory of Everything, he gets badly out of his depth’… Read the rest
Nawal El-Saadawi in Al-Ahram
Jan 30th, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Why should the head of women in particular be considered so dangerous that it must be made to disappear?’… Read the rest
Media Storms Can Mislead
Jan 29th, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Undue attention to cloning distorts public understanding of the field.… Read the rest
Carl Zimmer on Creationist Rhetorical Tricks
Jan 29th, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Pretend science is like politics and there is always a middle ground.… Read the rest
Time & Newsweek Have a Responsibility
Jan 29th, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
To people in bookless small towns who want to learn about ideas.… Read the rest
Why Don’t People See?
Jan 28th, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Paul Berman lists six causes of partial vision.… Read the rest
After After After Theory
Jan 28th, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Yet another postmortem.… Read the rest
Misconceptions Could Harm the Poor
Jan 28th, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Bioethics Centre and Peter Singer against Prince Charles on nanotechnology.… Read the rest
The Uses of Nanotechnology
Jan 28th, 2004 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
High-profile opponents take an unbalanced approach, say ethicists.… Read the rest
