Apparently, puzzles were a going industry and the Gordian Knot was the Grand Champion of all the ancient puzzles. The Michael Jordans and Babe Ruths of the ancient puzzling world had tangled with the twisted twine and none had what it took to untie it. Alexander, after beholding the knot, deftly drew his sword and cut the twine in twain. Imponderables such as the Hatter's query and the Gordian Knot have challenged mankind through the ages. Their resolutions often speak more of those struggling with the problem than with the problems themselves.
Solutions range from ignoring the problem to resolving it through brute force.
While wonderful literary devices, these solutions are not likely to appeal to those of us living in the real world. Reality demands resolution through logic, skill and hard work. A little bit of good luck thrown in is not such a bad thing either. This is the stuff of history, not literature. We, the space community, have been facing an imponderable for forty years.