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Do better. Know nothing.

Do better. Draw a bright line between QUANTA and QUALIA.

If that is your mantra, great!

The two light pulses aren’t going at the same speed. If they were, the parallel-mirror light clocks would stay in time. And if they did, the NIST optical clocks at different elevations would stay in time too. Only they don’t.

The clocks at different elevations run at different speeds because light is slowed down by GRAVITY (the closer you are to a large body, the slower light will travel because of the increased spacetime density).

The light is actually traveling at the same speed per unit of spacetime.

The light traveling through 10 units of interstellar (uncompressed) spacetime will appear from our vantage point to travel "further" than the same light traveling through 10 units of planetary (compressed) spacetime.

The relative (observable) speed of light is proportional to the number of units of spacetime it is traveling through.

Somehow didn't catch this one before sorry!

Nice theory. I don't believe it wholeheartedly though. THEORY of relativity. THEORY of gravity, etc.
Theories.
THere are others. You are arguing from a position of one, against the other, without knowing the 'other'.

Any theory is only as "good" as it is USEFUL.

It doesn't matter if a theory is "true", it only matters if it provides PREDICTIVE POWER.

We're basically ENGINEERS.

Efficacy is paramount.