A study has found that routine mistakes are predictable:

Monotonous duties switch our brain to “rest mode”, whether we like it or not, the researchers report in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences.

They found mistakes can be predicted up to 30 seconds before we make them, by patterns in our brain activity.

Sounds like an Asimov novel is about to come true.

The team hopes to design an early-warning brain monitor for pilots and others in “critical situations”.

The scientists say the device would be particularly suitable for monotonous jobs where focus is hard to maintain – such as passport and immigration control.

Robots handling passport and immigration control? No, this group predicts that they can help people by forcing their brains to stay alert instead of switching to “autopilot”. I wonder if there is a trade-off in terms of risk or health costs.

“Autopilot would be a better metaphor,” he explains. “We can assume that the tendency to economise task performance leads to an inappropriate reduction of effort, thus causing errors.”

Since this state begins about 30 seconds prior to a mistake being made, it could be possible to design an early-warning system that alerts people to be more focused or more careful, said the researchers.

Alternatively, maybe human jobs could be made less monotonous so that the brain is not tempted to economize? What if, for example, people were rotated and given shorter shifts, with more breaks?