Checklists in an emergency are the same idea as Dealer's Strategy in blackjack. If you've got nothing better, or are under so much stress you can't think, or don't have time to think, do Dealer's Strategy. But sometimes, pilots are needed to recognize when the checklist isn't going to work, and can innovate on the job. That's why we still have pilots on airplanes, as a computer can follow a checklist.