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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


Adam Mars-Jones on Bryan Appleyard *

Mar 13th, 2005 | Filed by

Somewhat confused review of book on aliens as cultural manifestation.… Read the rest



Why Gödel Matters *

Mar 12th, 2005 | Filed by

He is deployed by people with antirationalist agendas to whack science.… Read the rest



Gödel on the Internet *

Mar 12th, 2005 | Filed by

Gödel’s incompleteness theorem is invoked daily to whack people over the head.… Read the rest



Are Nazism and Communism Equivalent? *

Mar 12th, 2005 | Filed by

“there was no one in Nazi Germany who advocated “Nazism with a human face”.’… Read the rest



Slavery? What Slavery? *

Mar 12th, 2005 | Filed by

Factually incorrect history.… Read the rest



The Amish Believe in Submission and Forgiveness *

Mar 12th, 2005 | Filed by

Which gives incest a lot of room to flourish.… Read the rest



Oh No – Imbalance in Story on Rutgers Athletics! *

Mar 11th, 2005 | Filed by

What to do? Tell the instructor what to teach, of course.… Read the rest



Horowitz’s Undocumented Story Has Legs *

Mar 10th, 2005 | Filed by

Searchers have failed to find corroborating evidence, but story appears in newspapers.… Read the rest



A Daily Reading List – With Attitude *

Mar 10th, 2005 | Filed by

Arts and Letters Daily approaches its hundredth million.… Read the rest



The End of History? *

Mar 10th, 2005 | Filed by

The notion is the last of the utopian projects.… Read the rest



Lars Svendsen’s A Philosophy of Boredom *

Mar 10th, 2005 | Filed by

Is boredom psychological or the result of boring shops and boring governments?… Read the rest



How Not to Explain Suicide Bombing *

Mar 9th, 2005 | Filed by

Eve Garrard teases apart some familiar non-explanations.… Read the rest



Oliver Sacks on Francis Crick *

Mar 9th, 2005 | Filed by

Crick’s mind was always moving forward.… Read the rest



Review of Bernard Williams on Truth *

Mar 9th, 2005 | Filed by

Williams effectively explains the virtues of truth telling to a non-specialist audience.… Read the rest



Christopher Hitchens on Tom Paine *

Mar 8th, 2005 | Filed by

Wanted American Revolution to be more radical, French to be less ideological, rigid, bloodthirsty.… Read the rest



Protests on Global Women’s Day *

Mar 8th, 2005 | Filed by

Mukhtar Mai led march in Pakistan, men in Bangladesh joined women protesting acid attacks.… Read the rest



No Going Back *

Mar 8th, 2005 | Filed by

Fight for women’s equality that began 30 years ago will continue, and faster.… Read the rest



Human Trafficking in South Africa *

Mar 8th, 2005 | Filed by

Molo Songololo and other NGOs work to stop the flesh trade in women and children.… Read the rest



Women Challenge Traditional Status as Minors *

Mar 8th, 2005 | Filed by

Young woman in Swaziland gang-raped by bus conductors while spectators cheered. … Read the rest



Amnesty, Oxfam Report on Guns’ Impact on Women *

Mar 8th, 2005 | Filed by

Women are particularly at risk of certain crimes such as family violence and rape. … Read the rest