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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


‘Bad Science’ on Horny Goat Weed *

Nov 25th, 2006 | Filed by

Whole grains, ‘holistic’ techniques, colonic irrigation, The Peniscope – it all adds up.… Read the rest



David Colquhoun Looks at Snoring Studies *

Nov 25th, 2006 | Filed by

‘Oh dear: looks like yet another undisclosed financial interest in a clinical study.’… Read the rest



Ben Goldacre in Praise of Quack Hunting *

Nov 25th, 2006 | Filed by

Nerdy appraisal of research is fun once you’re catching people out and making them look silly. … Read the rest



Herbal Sex Aids Herbal but not Sex Aids *

Nov 25th, 2006 | Filed by

Fast Formula Wild Pink and Fast Formula Horny have been taken off the shelves.… Read the rest



MHRA Press Release on Herbal Sex-meds *

Nov 25th, 2006 | Filed by

‘Only licensed medicines may be advertised to the public.’… Read the rest



Jersey Fails to Find Water With Help of Diviners *

Nov 24th, 2006 | Filed by

Diviners said it was there, but when boreholes were drilled, it wasn’t.… Read the rest



Animals and Mental States *

Nov 24th, 2006 | Filed by

Evidence that psychology is conserved between human and nonhuman species.… Read the rest



Muslim Scholars Call for End to FGM *

Nov 24th, 2006 | Filed by

Said governments should enforce existing laws against the practice. … Read the rest



FGM Education Project *

Nov 24th, 2006 | Filed by

Background.… Read the rest



WHO Urges Vatican to Hurry Up on Condoms *

Nov 24th, 2006 | Filed by

‘Could we please have this debate in a hurry. Lives are at risk and time is short.’… Read the rest



Abuse of Women in Afghanistan *

Nov 24th, 2006 | Filed by

In many areas women are viewed as chattels and beaten accordingly.… Read the rest



Kirklees Council Sacks Aishah Azmi *

Nov 24th, 2006 | Filed by

Tribunal dismissed her claims of religious discrimination and harassment on religious grounds. … Read the rest



Sexist, Homophobic Bullying of Teachers *

Nov 24th, 2006 | Filed by

Sexist jokes and put-downs made female pupils feel degraded too, the NUT said. … Read the rest



BA Must Grovel to Religion *

Nov 24th, 2006 | Filed by

‘People of faith expect not just tolerance, but respect. BA needs to show it.’… Read the rest



Jersey Looks for Water on Advice of Diviners *

Nov 24th, 2006 | Filed by

Drilling, supervision, analysis and interpretation costs expected to be about £61,000.… Read the rest



Swallowing a Toad for Breakfast *

Nov 23rd, 2006 | Filed by

Teaching Schopenhauer in prison can get tricky.… Read the rest



Jonathan Wolff on Writing and Repetition *

Nov 23rd, 2006 | Filed by

‘Repetition and boredom, then, are our trademark. Excellent. I shall go out and tell everyone I know. Many times.’… Read the rest



Steven Pinker Asks for Less Faith, More Reason *

Nov 23rd, 2006 | Filed by

Universities are about reason; faith – believing something without good reasons – has no place except in a religious institution.… Read the rest



University and Class *

Nov 23rd, 2006 | Filed by

‘Class values riddle British universities much more confusingly than elsewhere.’… Read the rest



The Quiverfull Movement – Breeding for God *

Nov 23rd, 2006 | Filed by

Quiverfull parents have many children, homeschool, favor male rule and female submissiveness. … Read the rest