The meaning of "invention"

35 U.S. Code § 100 (a) defines invention:



The term “invention” means invention or discovery.



However, note keydifferences.com states:


Each and everything that surrounds us and we are using in our day to day
life is either discovered or invented, by experts. Most people have
a misconception regarding the words discovery and invention, due to
which they end up with the supposition that these two are one and the same thing.
But that is not true, as discovery means uncovering something, which already existed,
but not recognised by anybody else before, i.e. finding something unexpected.

On the other hand, the invention refers to creating something new and useful,
with one’s ideas and experiments. In short, it means creating or designing something.
So, check out this article to know the difference between discovery and invention in detail.



link: https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-discovery-and-invention.html

Withing episode 11 of the first year of the tv series "Numbers," one finds Larry
speaking to Charlie:



Science you know, science, not this, but real science, is discovery, Charles.
It's not invention.
The truths are there, whether we find them or not.



link: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=numb3rs&episode=s01e11