It seems that some famous unsolved problems (at least according to many mathematicians) might eventually be solved using existing mathematical tools, if someone finds the right idea or combination of techniques.
Examples that come to mind are:
On the other hand, I've heard that some problems may require entirely new mathematical theories before they can be solved. People sometimes mention things like the ABC Conjecture (before Mochizuki's claimed proof was proposed) as requiring new ideas, whereas Navier–Stokes seems to be in a different category as it may get solved using existing tools ?
So my questions are:
I'd really appreciate explanations in simple language rather than highly technical ones. Thanks!