Policy exchange is facing legal action for accusing British mosques of distributing extremist literature.
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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UN HRC: Britain’s Libel Laws Stifling Free Speech
Report cites a US researcher sued in London by a Saudi businessman over a book not published in the UK.
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Stephen Law Starts a Book Club
First up: The God Delusion. Discussion starts August 30.
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Rushdie Not Impressed by Random House
‘This is censorship by fear, and it sets a very bad precedent indeed.’ RH ‘stands by its decision.’
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Sherry Jones on Censoring ‘The Jewel of Medina’
Is Random House no longer publishing books about Islam?
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The Prince is Mistaken on All Counts
GM crops already allow greater yields with less water, less energy and fewer chemicals.
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Something to Say for Dissatisfaction
Stephen Cave reviews John Naish, Eric Wilson and Julian Baggini.
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Simon Blackburn Reviews Alan Sokal
When the philosophers explained the right way to live, everyone would fall happily into line. Innocent times.
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Ben Goldacre on Cargo Cult Science
The Quantum Xrroid Consciousness Interface creates optimal wellness.
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HRH Incapable of Keeping His Mouth Shut
His attacks on further GM experiments expose the ignorance behind Prince Charles’s remarks.
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Johann Hari on a New Blasphemy Law
Insulating a religion from criticism keeps it stunted at its most infantile and fundamentalist stage.
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Johann Hari on the Rebellion of the Child Brides
The conservative mullahs say there is nothing wrong with child-marriage – because Mohammed did it.
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Prince Should Consult Evidence not Dogma
HRH uses his privileged position to denigrate those who use science to help feed the world.
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P Charles Talks Evidence-free Nonsense
‘Clever genetic engineering…guaranteed to cause the biggest disaster environmentally of all time.’
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3 Aid Workers, Driver Killed in Afghanistan
The women worked for the International Rescue Committee; gunmen shot up their cars in Logar province.
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Charles Gets Things Absolutely Wrong
Prince’s lack of scientific understanding would condemn millions of people to starvation.
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Chuck’s Claims Long on Bombast, Short on Evidence
An analysis of the Prince’s claims indicates that few of them are founded on data from the real world.
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Phil Plait on Countering Antivaxxers
If the antis are successful then many, many children will die of totally preventable diseases.
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Gardasil and Both-sideism
Presenting a settled scientific issue as a simple dichotomy legitimizes fringe beliefs.
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Tabish Khair on the Spellberg Affair
80% of the people who died in riots over Rushdie or Motoons were Muslim.