--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some of the most important discoveries…" description: "\"Some of the most important discoveries that scientists have made were not what they were seeking at the time.\" — Jamie Hyneman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/jamie-hyneman-3349_discoveries_some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-t_3104683.png" --- # Some of the most important discoveries that scientists… ![“Some of the most important discoveries that scientists have made were not what they were seeking at the time.” quote by Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/jamie-hyneman-3349_discoveries_some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-t_3104683.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/jamie-hyneman-3349_discoveries_some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-t_3104683.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/jamie-hyneman-3349_discoveries_some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-t_3104683.png) > “Some of the most important discoveries that scientists have made were not what they were seeking at the time.” [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unexpected discoveries often arise when research deviates from its original goal, highlighting the value of serendipity in science. **In simple terms:** Great findings can happen by accident. Key Takeaway Stay open to unexpected results. Themes creativity serendipity research innovation Mood curious optimistic Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - lab experiments - fieldwork - data analysis - cross‑disciplinary projects Key Concepts Scientific method chance exploration Questions to Reflect On - How can you design work to allow chance insights? - When have you embraced an unexpected result? A Different Perspective Not all accidental findings are useful; they require insight to recognize. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discoveries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discoveries/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientists/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I also made two very important discoveries as time went on. In the first place, I discovered that making money was easy. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/i-also-made-two-very-important-discoveries-as-time-went-on-in-the/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [“One of the most important discoveries wa that 'six cylinders had sex appeal.' The man or woman behind the wheel had a particular allure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-golomb-dettelbach/one-of-the-most-important-discoveries-wa-that-six-cylinders-had-sex/) Cynthia Golomb Dettelbach > [Some of the most important discoveries, innovations, and advances in our history have come from those seeking a new life in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikie-sherrill/some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-innovations-and-advances-in/) [Mikie Sherrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikie-sherrill/) > [Guessing before proving! Need I remind you that it is so that all important discoveries have been made?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/guessing-before-proving-need-i-remind-you-that-it-is-so-that-all/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [The greater opportunity enabled me to make important discoveries and inventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-make-important-discoveries-and/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [“ Deviner avant de démontrer! Ai-je besoin de rappeler que c'est ainsi que se sont faites toutes les découvertes importantes. Guessing before proving! Need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/deviner-avant-de-d-montrer-ai-je-besoin-de-rappeler-que-c-est-ainsi/) [Henri Poincaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [The most important of my discoveries have been suggested to me by my failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphry-davy/the-most-important-of-my-discoveries-have-been-suggested-to-me-by-my/) [Humphry Davy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphry-davy/) > [The most important discoveries will provide answers to questions that we do not yet know how to ask and will concern objects we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-n-bahcall/the-most-important-discoveries-will-provide-answers-to-questions-that/) [John N. Bahcall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-n-bahcall/) > [ The idea of being able to build things bottom up, atom by atom, has made \[scientists\] all into tinkerers. And all of a sudden… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paola-antonelli/the-idea-of-being-able-to-build-things-bottom-up-atom-by-atom-has/) [Paola Antonelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paola-antonelli/) > [“Everyone worked day and night, Monday through Saturday. Oppenheimer insisted people take Sundays off to rest and recharge. Scientists fished for trout in nearby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-sheinkin/everyone-worked-day-and-night-monday-through-saturday-oppenheimer/) [Steve Sheinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-sheinkin/) > [“To prove to an indignant questioner on the spur of the moment that the work I do was useful seemed a thankless task and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-v-hill/to-prove-to-an-indignant-questioner-on-the-spur-of-the-moment-that/) A.V. Hill > [Modern science developed in the context of western religious thought, was nurtured in universities first established for religious reasons, and owes some of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/modern-science-developed-in-the-context-of-western-religious-thought/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [Intellectual curiosity drove Einstein to some of the world's most important discoveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-gee/intellectual-curiosity-drove-einstein-to-some-of-the-world-s-most/) [Gordon Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-gee/) > [A method is more important than a discovery, since the right method will lead to new and even more important discoveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-landau/a-method-is-more-important-than-a-discovery-since-the-right-method/) [Lev Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-landau/) > [“If your idea disturbs a conservative man, hang onto it," I said to myself. "It will probably lead to important discoveries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fatema-mernissi/if-your-idea-disturbs-a-conservative-man-hang-onto-it-i-said-to/) [Fatema Mernissi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fatema-mernissi/) ## More by Jamie Hyneman > [I really didn't think this was going to be a success. We did the first three episodes and I said to Adam, 'I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-really-didn-t-think-this-was-going-to-be-a-success-we-did-the-first/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [Neither Adam or I are scientists, we're not engineers or anything of the sort. We just have a lot of fun and the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/neither-adam-or-i-are-scientists-we-re-not-engineers-or-anything-of/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [If you build a robot, you're welding, machining sculpting, casting, dealing with electronics and hydraulics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/if-you-build-a-robot-you-re-welding-machining-sculpting-casting/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [If I had one word to describe how I feel at never having to work with co-host Adam Savage again it'd be relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/if-i-had-one-word-to-describe-how-i-feel-at-never-having-to-work-with/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [I pretty much just use my smartphone for phone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-pretty-much-just-use-my-smartphone-for-phone-calls/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [I mean, we're - if I may say so - we're experts at using materials and processes in ways for which they were never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-mean-we-re-if-i-may-say-so-we-re-experts-at-using-materials-and/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [You know, when you look carefully at stuff that you deal with everyday, applying a little creativity to it and thinking outside the box,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/you-know-when-you-look-carefully-at-stuff-that-you-deal-with-everyday/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [We got a lot of gay fan mail when the show first started. Something to do with being in San Francisco and being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/we-got-a-lot-of-gay-fan-mail-when-the-show-first-started-something-to/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [I'm like a race horse attached to a freight wagon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-m-like-a-race-horse-attached-to-a-freight-wagon/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [Running out of material for 'MythBusters' is like saying, 'We've done everything we could possibly do and we're not curious or interested in anything.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/running-out-of-material-for-mythbusters-is-like-saying-we-ve-done/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [I don't think our death ray is working. I'm standing right in it, and I'm not dead yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-don-t-think-our-death-ray-is-working-i-m-standing-right-in-it-and-i/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [There are a lot of scientists or other people who can be very skeptical or rational within their field, but they may well not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/there-are-a-lot-of-scientists-or-other-people-who-can-be-very/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [As it turns out, one of the biggest choices we have doing the show is deciding the tangents we are allowed to take, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/as-it-turns-out-one-of-the-biggest-choices-we-have-doing-the-show-is/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [One of our neighbors is a salami distributor, and they pretty well - I mean, we used their salami to make a rocket engine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/one-of-our-neighbors-is-a-salami-distributor-and-they-pretty-well-i/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [It's the results that are surprising, even results where we've totally screwed up, and then learned something in the process, are the ones that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/it-s-the-results-that-are-surprising-even-results-where-we-ve-totally/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) [Explore all 133 Jamie Hyneman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) ## More Discoveries quotes > [Out of the questions of students come most of the creative ideas and discoveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-langer/out-of-the-questions-of-students-come-most-of-the-creative-ideas-and/) [Ellen Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-langer/) > [“The nimble of mind long for the challenge of new discoveries. Weary minds cling to what is already known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-lee-lerner/the-nimble-of-mind-long-for-the-challenge-of-new-discoveries-weary/) [K. Lee Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-lee-lerner/) > [To me, part of the magic of this era is that the very same innovations, discoveries, and technologies that are allowing us to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-sebelius/to-me-part-of-the-magic-of-this-era-is-that-the-very-same-innovations/) [Kathleen Sebelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-sebelius/) > [Science is the most exciting and sustained enterprise of discovery in the history of our species. It is the great adventure of our time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/science-is-the-most-exciting-and-sustained-enterprise-of-discovery-in/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“We only know a tiny proportion about the complexity of the natural world. Wherever you look, there are still things we don’t know about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/we-only-know-a-tiny-proportion-about-the-complexity-of-the-natural/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [It's nice to witness these discoveries at first hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-aspel/it-s-nice-to-witness-these-discoveries-at-first-hand/) [Michael Aspel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-aspel/) > [There seems to be one quality of mind which seems to be of special and extreme advantage in leading him to make discoveries. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-darwin/there-seems-to-be-one-quality-of-mind-which-seems-to-be-of-special/) [Francis Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-darwin/) > [Like buried treasures, the outposts of the universe have beckoned to the adventurous from immemorial times. Princes and potentates, political or industrial, equally with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ellery-hale/like-buried-treasures-the-outposts-of-the-universe-have-beckoned-to/) George Ellery Hale > [The wonderment of humanity leads to its greatest discoveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-thomas-newton/the-wonderment-of-humanity-leads-to-its-greatest-discoveries/) Charles Thomas Newton > [“One of the greatest discoveries you could actually discover in life is the treasure of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/one-of-the-greatest-discoveries-you-could-actually-discover-in-life/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The real achievement in discoveries... is seeing an analogy where no one saw one before... The essence of discovery is that unlikely marriage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-real-achievement-in-discoveries-is-seeing-an-analogy-where-no-one/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [It (the Bible) has never bowed its head before the discoveries of science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/it-the-bible-has-never-bowed-its-head-before-the-discoveries-of/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [If innovations were predictable, they wouldn't be discoveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/if-innovations-were-predictable-they-wouldn-t-be-discoveries/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [At one time or another the more fortunate among us make three startling discoveries. Discovery number one: Each one of us has, in varying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-huxley/at-one-time-or-another-the-more-fortunate-among-us-make-three/) [Laura Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-huxley/) > [“Never underestimate the power of thought; it is the greatest path to discovery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idowu-koyenikan/never-underestimate-the-power-of-thought-it-is-the-greatest-path-to/) [Idowu Koyenikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idowu-koyenikan/) [Browse all 268 Discoveries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discoveries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some of the most important discoveries that scientists have made were not what they were seeking at the time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jamie Hyneman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-that-scientists-have-made-were/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Discoveries" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-that-scientists-have-made-were/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/jamie-hyneman-3349_discoveries_some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-t_3104683.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/jamie-hyneman-3349_discoveries_some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-t_3104683.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/jamie-hyneman-3349_discoveries_some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-t_3104683.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some of the most important discoveries that scientists have made were not what they were seeking at the time.” — Jamie Hyneman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jamie Hyneman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Some of the most important discoveries...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-that-scientists-have-made-were/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-that-scientists-have-made-were/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```