And because the error in the Kochab-Mizar alignment can be readily calculated for any date, the error in each pyramid's orientation corresponds to a period of several years.

BBC: Pyramids lined up with the stars

Instead, to judge by the most comprehensive study on the reliability of forensic evidence to date, the error rate is more than 10% in five categories of analysis, including fiber, paint and body fluids. (Meaning: When the expert says specimen X matches source Y, there's a 10% probability he's wrong.) DNA and fingerprints are more reliable but still not foolproof.

FORBES: Forensic evidence doesn't always tell the truth.

The April 15th date is a minor error.

FORBES: Whoops! IRS Sends 200,000 Balance Due Notices By Mistake

When that day came and went, Weinland amended his calculations, claiming an error and revising the date to May 27, 2012.

FORBES: Man Who Touted 'End of the World' Guilty of Tax Evasion

For one thing, it drastically cuts down the large error bars that existed around the date of the asteroid impact.

FORBES: Asteroid Impact Was The Coup De Grace For Dinosaurs

From the release of financials to the mailing date could be just a matter of a scant few weeks, leaving no margin for error.

FORBES: Don't Write Off The Annual Report

To date this process has often been performed manually and painstakingly, giving rise to serious risks of error.

FORBES: Legal Contract Management And The Modern Enterprise

But the implications of this had, to date, "not been well-presented to government, nor have issues of measurement error and the implications these have for performance tables".

BBC: NEWS | UK | Education | School standard rise 'overstated'

They have offered for me to make a one-off lump sum payment to bring the account up to date or to extend my mortgage term, but this does not alter the fact that it is their error that will now impact on my finances.

BBC: News - Clydesdale and Yorkshire mortgage error: Your stories