Editor's Choice

Setting limits to infinite error

BMJ 2008; 337 doi: 10.1136/bmj.a1823 (Published 25 September 2008)
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a1823

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  1. Tony Delamothe, deputy editor, BMJ
  1. tdelamothe{at}bmj.com

    If the journal were to print an epigram over each of its sections then for Letters I’d plump for Bertolt Brecht’s description of the purpose of science. “The aim of science is not to open the door to infinite wisdom, but to set a limit to infinite error,” said the protagonist in his Life of Galileo. Setting a limit to infinite error just about sums up what Letters are for.

    All BMJ letters begin their lives as (online) rapid responses to articles, and in a generous week we select about 10% of these to publish as letters in the print journal. Our main criterion for selection …

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