>> We don’t really know what makes physics “work.” What is clear is that there are different sets of rules for different circumstances; i.e., very small things are governed by different rules than are things like us, than are things that are traveling at very high speeds.<<
True — but in trying to find those fundamentals, science needs to rely on a consistent and physical Universe
>>Answering why is always difficult, and in some cases, it may be impossible. But it’s certainly clear that there isn’t one standard set of rules. It could very well be that this is simply one more thing that we don’t understand.<<
Science operates from the assumption there is one set of rules (else nothing would be discoverable). It also admits we don’t know them all and may never know them all.
>>And note, while I don’t believe in young earth, I don’t think you can dismiss such notions out of hand.<<
I think it must be dismissed out of hand. Even a cursory glance at the evidence tells one that the Universe and its tiny inhabitant, the Earth, are billions of years old.
I think that's generally true for nature around us, but those constants break down--for instance, we know that Newton's laws of motion don't apply to sub-atomic particles. Everything else does, but subatomic particles don't. Why? Don't know. But they don't. So you can't rely on Newton's laws to explain those things. Same is also true for space. We know enough to know that Space doesn't follow our rules.