--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The greater opportunity enabled me to…" description: "\"The greater opportunity enabled me to make important discoveries and inventions.\" — Philip Emeagwali" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/philip-emeagwali-21067_discoveries_the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-ma_2325125.png" --- # The greater opportunity enabled me to make important… ![“The greater opportunity enabled me to make important discoveries and inventions.” quote by Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/philip-emeagwali-21067_discoveries_the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-ma_2325125.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/philip-emeagwali-21067_discoveries_the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-ma_2325125.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/philip-emeagwali-21067_discoveries_the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-ma_2325125.png) > “The greater opportunity enabled me to make important discoveries and inventions.” [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great opportunities allow significant discoveries and inventions, emphasizing the value of seizing them. **In simple terms:** Opportunities enable breakthroughs. Key Takeaway Seize opportunities. Themes innovation discovery technology Mood motivational optimistic Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - research labs - startup ventures - career advancement Key Concepts entrepreneurship science Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify a great opportunity? - What steps turn opportunity into invention? A Different Perspective Opportunities may be scarce. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discoveries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discoveries/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Discovery and invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery-and-invention/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invention/) [Inventions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventions/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) ## Related quotes > [“Perhaps science does not develop by the accumulation of individual discoveries and inventions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-kuhn/perhaps-science-does-not-develop-by-the-accumulation-of-individual/) [Thomas S. Kuhn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-kuhn/) > [It is obvious that anything a scientist discovers or invents is based on previous discoveries and inventions. The same applies to the arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lukas-foss/it-is-obvious-that-anything-a-scientist-discovers-or-invents-is-based/) [Lukas Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lukas-foss/) > [great inventors and discoverers seem to have made their discoveries and inventions as it were by the way, in the course of their everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-charles/great-inventors-and-discoverers-seem-to-have-made-their-discoveries/) [Elizabeth Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-charles/) > [“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 that scientists have made were not what they were seeking at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/some-of-the-most-important-discoveries-that-scientists-have-made-were/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“ 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 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 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/) > [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/) > [ \[At DuPont,\] I was very fortunate that I worked under men who were very much interested in making discoveries and inventions. They were very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-kwolek/at-dupont-i-was-very-fortunate-that-i-worked-under-men-who-were-very/) Stephanie Kwolek > [There is a great difference between discoveries and inventions. With discoveries, one can always be skeptical, and many surprises can take place. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/there-is-a-great-difference-between-discoveries-and-inventions-with/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [There is something in such laws that takes the breath away. They are not discoveries or inventions of the human mind, but exist independently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-escher/there-is-something-in-such-laws-that-takes-the-breath-away-they-are/) [M. C. Escher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-escher/) > [“There are no new inventions, only new discoveries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/there-are-no-new-inventions-only-new-discoveries/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) ## More by Philip Emeagwali > [It took me 1057 pages to describe the hundreds of mathematical equations, algorithms and programming techniques that I invented and used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/it-took-me-1057-pages-to-describe-the-hundreds-of-mathematical/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [I preferred to study those subjects that were of interest to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/i-preferred-to-study-those-subjects-that-were-of-interest-to-me/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [My focus is not on solving nature's deeper mysteries. It is on using nature's deeper mysteries to solve important societal problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/my-focus-is-not-on-solving-nature-s-deeper-mysteries-it-is-on-using/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [First, I identify an analogous problem in nature and borrow from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/first-i-identify-an-analogous-problem-in-nature-and-borrow-from-it/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [I dropped out of high school four times between the ages of 12 to 17.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/i-dropped-out-of-high-school-four-times-between-the-ages-of-12-to-17/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [One out of every 100 American men is HIV positive. The rate of infection has reached epidemic proportions in 40 developing nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/one-out-of-every-100-american-men-is-hiv-positive-the-rate-of/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [The Connection Machine was the most powerful supercomputer in the world. It is a complex supercomputer and it will take forever to completely describe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/the-connection-machine-was-the-most-powerful-supercomputer-in-the/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [Because I am not formally trained in the medical sciences, I can bring in new ideas to AIDS research and the cross-fertilization of ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/because-i-am-not-formally-trained-in-the-medical-sciences-i-can-bring/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [Our lives sometimes depends on computers performing as predicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/our-lives-sometimes-depends-on-computers-performing-as-predicted/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [The 65,536 processors were inside the Connection Machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/the-65-536-processors-were-inside-the-connection-machine/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [Adversities such as being homeless and going to prison has made many people stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/adversities-such-as-being-homeless-and-going-to-prison-has-made-many/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [I wanted to become a mathematician, physicist or astronomer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/i-wanted-to-become-a-mathematician-physicist-or-astronomer/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [The hardship of living in a refugee camp made me psychologically strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/the-hardship-of-living-in-a-refugee-camp-made-me-psychologically/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [Scientists try to discover or unravel the mysteries of nature. Some of the problems we are trying to solve have been solved in nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/scientists-try-to-discover-or-unravel-the-mysteries-of-nature-some-of/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) > [Nigeria is a West African nation of over 100 million energetic people. It is endowed with lots of natural resources but lacks human resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/nigeria-is-a-west-african-nation-of-over-100-million-energetic-people/) [Philip Emeagwali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) [Explore all 30 Philip Emeagwali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/) ## 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": "The greater opportunity enabled me to make important discoveries and inventions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Emeagwali" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-make-important-discoveries-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Discoveries" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-make-important-discoveries-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/philip-emeagwali-21067_discoveries_the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-ma_2325125.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/philip-emeagwali-21067_discoveries_the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-ma_2325125.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/philip-emeagwali-21067_discoveries_the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-ma_2325125.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The greater opportunity enabled me to make important discoveries and inventions.” — Philip Emeagwali", "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": "Philip Emeagwali", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-emeagwali/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The greater opportunity enabled me to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-make-important-discoveries-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-emeagwali/the-greater-opportunity-enabled-me-to-make-important-discoveries-and/#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 } } ] } ```