@Steve Savage -- I wouldn't worry about your last question (above). That's like asking why pie is pie?

Such a constant is not a question: It's an answer.

On your first question, the easy one, well that the whole cornerstone of The Theory of Releativity, isn't it?

Einstein was riding on a city train, he saw a clocktower fading in the distance and BOOM! he got started on the idea -- realizing -- that perception was relative.

The "tough," question might be something like: What spark set off the Big Bang? What was the cause of the Big Bang?

Or, is there a force of anti-gravity?

Or, what's this "new thing," we now suspect is travelling faster -- faster than the speed of light.

But I'm not ...

@Steve Savage -- I wouldn't worry about your last question (above). That's like asking why pie is pie?

Such a constant is not a question: It's an answer.

On your first question, the easy one, well that the whole cornerstone of The Theory of Releativity, isn't it?

Einstein was riding on a city train, he saw a clocktower fading in the distance and BOOM! he got started on the idea -- realizing -- that perception was relative.

The "tough," question might be something like: What spark set off the Big Bang? What was the cause of the Big Bang?

Or, is there a force of anti-gravity?

Or, what's this "new thing," we now suspect is travelling faster -- faster than the speed of light.

But I'm not a Ph. D. scientist and I don't expect or need answers to these questions. I have a very clear belief that we don't know everything under the sun and we will Never Know Everything under the sun....and that some things we Think We Know, now and just comfortable working theories until some genius comes up with a new idea.

@Steve Savage - There is talk in the news about new discoveries, again, this week.

Report from a woman scientist (real scientist)

QUOTE: "She found that between 8 and 11 billion years ago gravity's distortion of time appeared to be three times as strong as its ability to curve space. An observer around at the time wouldn't have noticed the effect because it only applies over large distances. Nonetheless, "there is a preference for a significant deviation from general relativity", says Bean'"

At: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427314.400-rethinking-relativity-is-time-out-of-joint.html

How time and space are claimed to be linked still baffles me. But it's okay, I like the experie...

@Steve Savage - There is talk in the news about new discoveries, again, this week.

Report from a woman scientist (real scientist)

QUOTE: "She found that between 8 and 11 billion years ago gravity's distortion of time appeared to be three times as strong as its ability to curve space. An observer around at the time wouldn't have noticed the effect because it only applies over large distances. Nonetheless, "there is a preference for a significant deviation from general relativity", says Bean'"

At: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427314.400-rethinking-relativity-is-time-out-of-joint.html

How time and space are claimed to be linked still baffles me. But it's okay, I like the experience of seeking understanding.

It's good to be baffled by the mysteries of the universe, good to explore the histories of our world.