"The existence of the universe is very much a matter of theoretical physics" Surely this needs a bit of qualification. Theoretical physics can certainly talk a

"The existence of the universe is very much a matter of theoretical physics" Surely this needs a bit of qualification. Theoretical physics can certainly talk about why the universe exists in the way that it does (because this force did that, then there was a big explosion, etc.) But that doesn't mean that theoretical physics is capable of explaining why there is a physical universe (something) rather than not (nothing).