Why isn't the speed of light infinite? What is slowing it down?

Space is is created when matter is created. They are not independent.

Then, is there a possibility that light creates its own space, which disappears as soon as the light is gone? What evidence would there be?

Space must be is created by energy in motion (kinetic energy). Then electromagnetic waves are simply an indication of space being created. Of course, then, the effect damps down quickly because the new space is relatively trivial in comparison to the background space already there. The effect is quite comparable to water waves from a passing speedboat.

Bell's Theorem suggests that the mechanics of, say, a high-powered lasar beam must somehow involve interaction between virtual paired photons, one in this universe, and one in a hidden dimension that is not subject to space or time. So, the speed of light can be explained by saying that light creates its own space and should, thus, travel infinitely fast in that hidden dimension. The interaction between those virtual photons must somehow be the cause of light slowing down from infinite speed to that which we know.

Perhaps the speed of light is a clue to understanding "what came before", because it hints of some new parameter or curvature or whatever.

Following along this line of reasoning, it would seem that two black holes are completely independent of each other, and do not "connect" in some other universe. That is, what is observed about the gravitational effects of black holes is only a relationship between this universe and a PROCESS rather than a PLACE.

Thus, completely separate universes could pop up anywhere, any time, with no connection among them, ever.

Do we have enough scientific and engineering capability to trigger such a new universe, right now? Past experiments along similar lines have used high powered magnetic fields and lasers.

Science links