It happened to Alan Turing, as he lay on his back in Grantchester Meadows, wondering how to crack the German Enigma codes. Newton was lounging in a Lincolnshire orchard. Archimedes was in his bath, but was so excited that he jumped out and ran naked through the streets of Syracuse. The weather persuaded me to opt for a taxi after my own Eureka moment yesterday, but otherwise my delight was of the same magnitude – for I now understand what David Cameron is on about.
It is often the case that something that should be apparent isn't, because you can't see what's in front of your nose. With a crossword or a puzzle – or one of those annoying pixellated images you have to look at sideways and with a squint to make out the laughing dog – there is usually a moment when all is revealed and the answer becomes plain. For some, this happens quickly. Others take a while, so that those who have cracked it already burst with frustration: "But can't you see? Just look! Surely it's obvious!"
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