Academics put their names on papers written by commercial medical writing companies working for drug companies.… Read the rest
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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
Should science journalists take sides? 
Sep 26th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If you just report what people have said, you’re a megaphone, not a journalist. Analysis is part of the job.… Read the rest
Salil Tripathi on the ‘incompetence Raj’
Sep 26th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
This is not a failure of the Indian people or Indian culture. It is the Indian government who have failed so badly with the Commonwealth Games.… Read the rest
Australia’s “saint” exposed a paedophile priest
Sep 25th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
And was excommunicated partly for revenge, a new documentary claims.… Read the rest
Muhammad Sahimi on Ahmedinedjad’s lies
Sep 25th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Some of his lies are so brazen that even his supporters in Tehran have expressed astonishment and rebuked him.… Read the rest
Poll: 1 in 5 Americans believe Obama is a cactus
Sep 25th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The most Americans to identify the president as a water- retaining desert plant since he took office.… Read the rest
Archbishop urges Catholics to be more irritating
Sep 25th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Archbishop of Westminster says Catholics should be more ready to make the sign of the cross and say “God bless you” to people.… Read the rest
Geoffrey Robertson on the Holy See as Santa Claus state
Sep 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The world’s most absolute dictator presumes to lecture our present leaders on the sins of democratic society.… Read the rest
Henning Mankell: argue with Sweden Democrats
Sep 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“It was precisely the refusal of the other parties, from left and right, to debate with the SD that allowed them to grow from nothing to 6% of the vote.”… Read the rest
Deaf abuse victim is suing the pope
Sep 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The headmaster of St. John’s School for the Deaf raped and molested as many as 200 deaf boys, according to court and church documents.… Read the rest
Johann Hari on Liberal Democrats as hostages
Sep 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
They twitch nervously as they mouth supportive platitudes about Cameron’s planned cuts.… Read the rest
Paul Sims asks: is burning the Koran a crime?
Sep 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Kenan Malik notes, “There are two notions of incitement that all too often get conflated.”… Read the rest
UK: six guys arrested for burning a Koran
Sep 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
They were arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred and released on bail pending further inquiries.… Read the rest
Jesus and Mo tell the barmaid how to build alliances
Sep 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Don’t mention the e-word.… Read the rest
Dan Savage and Terry to bullied high school kids
Sep 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It gets better. The despair of high school does not go on forever.… Read the rest
The burqa is a feminist issue
Sep 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The burqa is a blank; a deliberate erasure not only of public face, but of one’s entire public existence. Not new self but un-self.… Read the rest
A formal farewell to a vestige of monarchical power
Sep 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The curious case of the royal financial memorandum is a headline disguised as a footnote.… Read the rest
“The Royal family is part of the dependency culture”
Sep 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“Someone appears to have gone to extraordinary lengths to protect the Royal family from public scrutiny.”… Read the rest
Caspar Melville reports on RSA debate
Sep 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Marilynne Robinson was subtle, Roger Scruton was mischievous, Jonathan Rée was disturbed by the “new” atheist Tone.… Read the rest
The thing that made the things for which…
Sep 22nd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
…there is no known maker.… Read the rest
