One Mile Walk

Maybe We Are a Bit Slow

Now, I'm an engineer, not a scientist. Engineers are not usually seeking to understand how the universe works. We are normally only looking for ways to build or fix things. We use the laws of physics to do that... usually. But, if the physics is too complicated, we have been known to use guesses and extrapolations of simplified physics to approximate solutions. Sometimes we get burned without good physics. But, if you can build it, and it works, fine. Let the physicists figure out why.
As I shuffled along today, a few 'What Ifs' sprouted under my Cossack (It's about 40F today).
I wonder if the assumption that the speed of light is fixed is really a version of 'not invented here' or 'misplaced pride' by the scientific community. Maybe physicists don't want to risk their reputation by casting doubt on the giants in the field.
Would the universe still appear as it does now if light speed was not constant? Could we interpret the cosmos better if there was a variation of light speed? For instance, the rate of expansion of the universe is slower now than far back in time. It is interpreted as the Hubble tension.
So, when I got back home I researched and found: An inconstant Hubble constant? Research suggests fix to cosmological cornerstone https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210520133715.htm

It's a great article. But, they suggest the Hubble Constant changes over distance (and time) to the far off parts of the universe.
I think a simpler interpretation would be that light speed changes due to the local density of the universe. A long time ago, local densities would be greater. If the light speed was a function of that density, maybe faster. An object would appear farther away if you measure it using our local speed of light. Consider the speed of light depends on the 'tension' of the spacetime matrix. Like the frequency of sound goes up the tighter the string is in a guitar.
Now I don't know 'why' the spacetime is looser around here. I'm just trying to come up with a simpler way to calculate the rate of expansion. If you go way back toward the big bang, maybe the light speed was so high that the supposed 'inflation' in the beginning is just an illusion. Maybe things that are trillions of light-years away appear right there at the 13.8 LY sphere.