On Silk and gravity

Am reading this book 'Middlesex' by Jeffrey Eugenides. Nice book. Here on one occasion he tells the story of how a chinese princess discovered Silk accidentally when a cocoon fell in her lap once when she was sitting under a tree. The same happened with Newton as well. In this it was an apple. And here is the quote:

"Great discoveries, whether of silk or of gravity, are always windfalls. They happen to people loafing under trees."

I feel little consoled! :)