Human error is the biggest gremlin in the machine. Someone swaps two tubes? Oops. A lab tech sneezes and contaminates a sample? Double oops. It’s like ordering a chocolate cake and getting a salt shaker instead—rare, but possible.
Most labs are super careful, but mistakes happen. One study found errors in about 1 in 1,000 paternity tests. That’s not a lot, but it’s enough to make you raise an eyebrow. Imagine being told you’re the father of a baby… and then finding out it was actually a lab mix-up with a dog.
