[tacticalogic]

The “theory of everything” is what? An amorphous mess? Any process must have a beginning, just as every flower pot hanging from a chain must hang from a hook.

And you can know that it must hang from that hook without knowing how to forge a hook, or smelt iron from ore, or mine the ore, or where the iron from the or came from.

[blackpacific]

Ultimately, physical science cannot explain the origins of anything. Speculation on origins is proper to philosophy. When a natural science initiates a discussion on origins, he does so as a philosopher, and as such he exerts no intellectual supremacy over the average farmer, parish priest, or high school dropout janitor.

But you are correct, science can attempt to explain processes that are measurable. And within that container, a scientist can merit some measure of respect insofar as he is following the methods proper to his area of specialty.