People stared at the sun at Knock; now they have solar retinopathy.
Category: 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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
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Nigerian Footballer Not Happy in Sudan
Stephen Worgu was sentenced to 40 lashes in Sudan for drunk driving, would prefer to be in Europe.
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Matthew Cobb Reviews Two Books on Evolution
The very idea of evolution has been subject to a 150-year long offensive by a vast variety of religious thinkers.
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Noam Chomsky on Nick Cohen
‘Oh, Nick Cohen’s a maniac. These are just diatribes, tantrums. I’m not interested in them.’
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Uganda’s ‘Anti-Homosexuality’ Bill
There has been increased campaigning against homosexuality in Uganda, led by churches and anti-gay groups.
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Rick Warren Refuses to Condemn Ugandan Bill
Says no one cared about Christians who died last year. Good answer.
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John Lynch on Historians and Anti-evolutionism
Creationists are turning to history, and historians should get involved. Steve Fuller responds.
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The Mighty Power of the Nocebo Effect
If you expect side effects, the side effects turn up. Magic!
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The Dodginess of Drug Company Trials
Is the conflict of interest unacceptable when drug companies conduct trials on their own drugs? Yes.
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Who Is Actually Typing?
Videos show that Houben is often not even looking at the keyboard; this is a red flag.
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Thomas Nagel Blurbs Intelligent Design Book
Nagel has blurbed Stephen Meyer’s Signature in the Cell as one of the books of the year for 2009.
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Oh No, Atheist Bioethicists!
Quick, panic! Americans don’t like atheists or bioethicists, and that’s all there is to say.
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A Delusion With Sugar Is Still a Delusion
The power of homeopathy is not in the pills but in the searching personal questions.
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Flawed Swiss Vote Wasn’t Just ‘Islamophobia’
Joan Smith notes that an argument about ideas has been displaced onto inanimate objects.
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Libby Purves: Faith and Power Are a Bad Brew
Once you are convinced that you alone hold the truth, you build rich hierarchies of obedience, and then circle the wagons to protect your artificial structure.
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The Old ‘Mental Reservation’ Trick
The church tells the press it co-operated with the Gardaí but it didn’t say it co-operated ‘fully’…
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Murphy Report: the Rotten Core of the Church
After his ordination as a priest at age 23, Carney regularly sexually abused children. Job satisfaction.
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Ireland: Hard to Know if the Church Can Survive
Civic Ireland failed to stand up against princes of the Church who had ancient rights over people’s lives.
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What Did Life of Brian Ever Do For Us?
Current sensitivities make it highly unlikely that a comedy group would try making a film like Brian today.
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James Randi on a Cruel Farce
‘Facilitated Communication’ is a clever Hans situation.