Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[learner12]

Hello, teachers!!

Most governments do display compassion over crises, offering recovery money and rescuers. Yet they should also take time beforehand to learn from the last disaster. The International Atomic Energy Agency came to the quake-hit Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant not to impose mandates but to learn for the future. If only China had sent inspectors to the Minneapolis bridge site, it might have learned something in time to save some of the 64 people who died in the Hunan bridge collapse.
(The Japan Times Weekly: September 1, 2007)

----->
it might have learned "something" in time to save some of the 64 people who died in the Hunan bridge collapse.

What does "something" mean?

(1) An undetermined or unspecified thing
(2) A remarkable or important thing

In my opinion, (1) is better. However, it seems that (2) also is true to the context.

Thank you in advance.

[pinenut]

An undetermined or unspecified thing can turn out to be a remarkable or important thing.

[learner12]

Dear pinenut:

Thank you so much for your explanations.

Take care and have a nice day!!