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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


Playing the Lone Rebel Part *

Feb 18th, 2003 | Filed by

Book on non-European contributions to science discovers what historians already know, Anthony Grafton’s review says.… Read the rest



Miserable Apathy *

Feb 18th, 2003 | Filed by

Leon Wieseltier tears a strip off Louis Menand’s perspectivism.… Read the rest



Menand on Orwell *

Feb 18th, 2003 | Filed by

Louis Menand says ‘Big Brother’ and ‘doublethink’ and ‘thought police’ are popular phrases because they prop up slippery slope arguments.… Read the rest



CHE Links on Michigan Case *

Feb 18th, 2003 | Filed by

The Chronicle of Higher Education gives links to articles relevant to University of Michigan’s race-conscious admissions policies, a Supreme Court issue.… Read the rest



All Hitler All the Time *

Feb 17th, 2003 | Filed by

Students at UK secondary schools are being given too much Hitler and too little of all the rest of history.… Read the rest



Rodent Studies *

Feb 17th, 2003 | Filed by

Education is about making more money so vocational training is the way to go so media studies should be fine but then what did Hodge mean by ‘Mickey Mouse’? It’s all so confusing.… Read the rest



Bioterrorism fears and censorship *

Feb 17th, 2003 | Filed by

Should sensitive biological information be withheld if it might be used by bioterrorists?… Read the rest



Not an Anglican but an Evangelical *

Feb 16th, 2003 | Filed by

Richard Dawkins wants to share the good news, and expose fraudulence in the process.… Read the rest



Annoyingly Snide Interview With Dawkins *

Feb 16th, 2003 | Filed by

All the dreary old accusations trotted out: he’s aggressive, intolerant, cold. Why? Because he doesn’t suck up to religion, apparently.… Read the rest



New Scientist Reviews Dawkins *

Feb 16th, 2003 | Filed by

A brief review of A Devil’s Chaplain.… Read the rest



Bogus Signatures *

Feb 15th, 2003 | Filed by

One author forged the signatures of seven co-authors: not good practice, even if the research is correct.… Read the rest



Spoiling Students *

Feb 15th, 2003 | Filed by

Self-esteem, student evaluations, therapy-mindedness, all lead to pleasing students rather than inspiring them.… Read the rest



Texas Professor and Evolution *

Feb 14th, 2003 | Filed by

A university education is not supposed to confirm pre-existing ideas.… Read the rest



Teachers as Cops *

Feb 13th, 2003 | Filed by

Who has time to teach when school is a war zone?… Read the rest



Something else for Greenpeace to get confused about? *

Feb 13th, 2003 | Filed by

Nanotechnology could become the new genetically modified food (kind of), say report authors.… Read the rest



Politics and Darwinism *

Feb 13th, 2003 | Filed by

Melvin Konner reviews The Blank Slate and Darwinian Politics.… Read the rest



Who Is Paying? *

Feb 12th, 2003 | Filed by

Is conservative funding more focussed and coherent than the other kind? If so, why?… Read the rest



What a Good Idea! *

Feb 12th, 2003 | Filed by

Simon Blackburn, Richard Dawkins and others call for Darwin Day. … Read the rest



Does Freedom Evolve? *

Feb 12th, 2003 | Filed by

Is human agency the product of nature, or of history and politics?… Read the rest



Never Met an Adaptive Tale He Didn’t Like? *

Feb 11th, 2003 | Filed by

Sometimes economic explanations work better than evolutionary ones, says this review of The Blank Slate.… Read the rest