Kinetic error correction is a biological mechanism that organisms use to prevent errors during processes such as DNA replication and protein synthesis.[1] Scientists have long assumed that these repairs only evolve when selection for accuracy outweighs the cost of energy and slowing down replication.[1] However, a new study shows that when error-induced stagnation is taken into account, error correction can actually speed up replication instead of slowing it down.[1][5] Using theoretical analysis and computer simulations, researchers have demonstrated that in stagnation-dominated regimes, error correction yields a net time benefit.[1] Their results suggest that error correction may evolve under selection for speed alone, without a direct requirement for higher accuracy.[1][5] This principle probably also applies to more complex biological processes, such as the assembly of molecular machines.[1] The research also explains why the error rate in living organisms decreases more than would be necessary to maintain genome size, allowing for the evolution of more complex organisms.[1]