[Finwe]

Before Ea was created, I don't think that the human idea of time existed, but some sort of it did. Why else would Eru's halls be called The Timeless Halls? Time probably does move much more slowly there, and thus, an outsider could probably become quite lost in those Halls.

As for the scientific angle, the Valar remind me of a team assembled for, say, research purposes or archaeological purposes. You need specialists in many different fields, who are united by a common goal. The Valar were like that. Each specialized in creating different materials, working with different materials, preserving different materials, or nurturing different materials. For example, Aulë was "in charge" of all the materials that Arda was made of, whereas Yavanna was "in charge" of all growing things. Each had their own purpose, but they were united by a common goal, like a modern research team.