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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention *

Jul 1st, 2006 | Filed by

A war crime is defined as ‘any conduct…which constitutes a violation of Common Article 3.’… Read the rest



One for the Rule of Law *

Jul 1st, 2006 | Filed by

‘The case is a blockbuster as much for its reasoning as its effect.’… Read the rest



Journalism as ‘Treason’ *

Jul 1st, 2006 | Filed by

Conservatism waging jihad against the very existence of disinterested arbiters of public discourse.… Read the rest



On The Penguin Freud Reader *

Jun 30th, 2006 | Filed by

The notion that opposites can collapse into each other at any time becomes very troubling.… Read the rest



1906 Edition of The Jungle Was Not Censored *

Jun 30th, 2006 | Filed by

The version that See Sharp Press disparages as ‘censored’ is the version Sinclair approved.… Read the rest



On Goldstein on Spinoza *

Jun 30th, 2006 | Filed by

The intersection between Spinoza’s Jewishness and the cosmopolitanism of his thought.… Read the rest



Jack Miles on Dennett’s Breaking the Spell *

Jun 30th, 2006 | Filed by

Concepts of God are to theists as concepts of Howard Stern are to atheists. Eh?… Read the rest



Furthermore, EDKH Wrote Bad Novels *

Jun 29th, 2006 | Filed by

Despite all the subtle – very, very subtle – signs of irony and resistance and whatnot.… Read the rest



US Supreme Court: Military Tribunals Illegal *

Jun 29th, 2006 | Filed by

Court rules that trying terrorism suspects by military tribunal violates Geneva Conventions.… Read the rest



Man Sentenced for ‘Honour Killing’ in Denmark *

Jun 29th, 2006 | Filed by

Ghazala Khan was murdered because the family opposed her choice of husband. … Read the rest



Occultism *

Jun 29th, 2006 | Filed by

It’s everywhere. Or is it.… Read the rest



Supporting Science Teachers *

Jun 29th, 2006 | Filed by

Science academies from 67 countries sign a statement on teaching evolution. They’re for it.… Read the rest



Can History be Open Source? *

Jun 29th, 2006 | Filed by

A historian on Wikipedia.… Read the rest



Emma Dunham Kelley Hawkins was White *

Jun 29th, 2006 | Filed by

One mistake is hard to root out of the literature, even harder to root out of popular consciousness.… Read the rest



Richard Swinburne Talks Revolting Nonsense *

Jun 28th, 2006 | Filed by

Suffering is good for us, God answers prayers if we ask for the right reasons.… Read the rest



We May Lose Hormones, But We Gain Empathy *

Jun 28th, 2006 | Filed by

Development never stops, which is one of the things that make it interesting to be a being.… Read the rest



Kira Cochrane Interviews Ariel Levy *

Jun 28th, 2006 | Filed by

How does one distinguish the new feminism from the old objectification?… Read the rest



Fundy Xians are Loony in Different Ways *

Jun 28th, 2006 | Filed by

So they’re not all that alarming? Hmm.… Read the rest



Lot of Issues Here *

Jun 28th, 2006 | Filed by

‘I’m gay, so I get Diversity, so hire me, but it’s a secret.’… Read the rest



Girls’ Schools as Tragedy of the Commons *

Jun 27th, 2006 | Filed by

Parents want girls in girls’ schools and boys in mixed schools. Er…… Read the rest