Latest News

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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


Golden Dawn, Greece and blasphemy law *

Oct 6th, 2012 | Filed by

Golden Dawn’s popularity has been rising, so it can influence the public agenda, with help of  populist Greek media and government’s fear of losing conservative voters.… Read the rest



Brian Leiter and Michael Weisberg review Thomas Nagel *

Oct 5th, 2012 | Filed by

The sciences that have worked so well for us are precisely our benchmark for what we know and what is rational; they’re the things that are keeping us “afloat.”… Read the rest



LSE ASH retains its right to free expression *

Oct 5th, 2012 | Filed by

The cartoons will not be removed from the LSESU ASH page, nor will the prefix LSESU be removed from the society’s name.… Read the rest



Students ejected from event for naming a pineapple Mohammed *

Oct 5th, 2012 | Filed by

The Reading University Atheist, Humanist, and Secularist Society had a stall that included a pineapple labeled “Mohammed.” You know the rest.… Read the rest



26 complaints about What Doctors Don’t Tell You *

Oct 4th, 2012 | Filed by

The Nightingale Collaboration submitted complaints about 26 adverts in WDDTY to the Advertising Standards Authority. This may be a record.… Read the rest



Jerusalem bus company Egged drops all advertising *

Oct 4th, 2012 | Filed by

“Egged has not given in to the Haredim. This is purely a business decision.” To avoid vandalism by the Haredim.… Read the rest



Egypt: 2 children arrested for “desecrating” the Koran *

Oct 4th, 2012 | Filed by

One is 9, the other is 10.… Read the rest



The kissing sailor and the unconsenting nurse *

Oct 4th, 2012 | Filed by

It turns out that was an assault, but it doesn’t do to say so.… Read the rest



Salvation Army church propagandizing teenagers *

Oct 4th, 2012 | Filed by

Why would a church show D’Souza’s anti-Obama propaganda to teenagers? Their tax exemption requires them to be politically neutral.… Read the rest



Grape seeds cure all the things *

Oct 3rd, 2012 | Filed by

Grape seeds have been pounced on by supplement makers for their health-boosting properties and potential to fight ageing, obesity, cancer and more.… Read the rest



From the people threatening to sue Simon Singh *

Oct 3rd, 2012 | Filed by

Medical researcher and WDDTY contributor Joseph Hattersley says that the risk of cot deaths increases five-fold at times of geopathic stress.… Read the rest



Alt health mag threatens to sue Simon Singh *

Oct 3rd, 2012 | Filed by

Singh offered to meet the distributors and introduce them to medical experts, but they declined and told him they had “sought legal advice.”… Read the rest



Jury finds Deanna DeJesus guilty of child neglect *

Oct 3rd, 2012 | Filed by

Mistrial on aggravated manslaughter charge for failing to prevent her heavily armed husband from killing their child.… Read the rest



Soldiers forced to attend prayer for suicide prevention *

Oct 2nd, 2012 | Filed by

The students were not given an opportunity to remove themselves. The entire theater was forced into a mass christian prayer.… Read the rest



Ikea apologizes for airbrushing women out of catalogue *

Oct 2nd, 2012 | Filed by

“We are now reviewing our routines to safeguard a correct content presentation from a values point-of-view in the different versions of the Ikea catalogue worldwide,” it said.… Read the rest



Washington Post reports on Secular Coalition lobbying *

Oct 2nd, 2012 | Filed by

“Rogers, in a glittery gold blouse and knee-high boots with four-inch heels…” Say what?… Read the rest



Eric Hobsbawm 1917-2012 *

Oct 2nd, 2012 | Filed by

An unrepentant Marxist, he acknowledged the failure of 20th Century communism but said he had not given up on Marxist ideals.… Read the rest



Pakistan: Muslims charged with “blasphemy” *

Oct 1st, 2012 | Filed by

Protesters attacked the Sri Krishna Ram temple, broke religious statues, tore up a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, and beat up the temple’s caretaker.… Read the rest



Katha Pollitt notes that blasphemy is good for you *

Sep 30th, 2012 | Filed by

The rise of the Russian Orthodox church in the former Soviet Union shows that Islam has no monopoly on religious freakouts or their exploitation for political purposes.… Read the rest



Protesters torch Buddhist temples over FB photo *

Sep 30th, 2012 | Filed by

Hundreds of Muslims in Bangladesh burned at least four Buddhist temples and 15 homes after complaining that a Buddhist man had insulted Islam.… Read the rest