We know that we live in an expanding and changing universe, but nevertheless
we prefer some solid foundations upon which to base our reasoning. This idea is
reflected in the introduction of quantities that we call the “fundamental physical
constants”. These constants do, as John D. Barrow said, “capture at once
our greatest knowledge and our greatest ignorance about the universe”. The interrelations
between them give us hints where to look for underlying common
foundations of phenomena that are observed in different branches of physics.
At the same time, we also call these quantities “fundamental” because we have
not so far been able to deduce their numerical values from a deeper level of
understanding.