Exactly. Whether a Brane collision or a Quantum Fluctuation (I have heard that one too), there is still a "something" there that is then acting....
In case you havent seen this...this describes Branes: Elegant Universe Video
And here are a couple of other thought provoking items: Theory of Everything
And this paper:10(11) D Superstring Theory And The 10(11) Sefirot
The whole point is that atheists are at heart a-nihilists who cannot admit the concept of absolute nothingness prior to the universe's coming-to-be.
Exactly. Whether a Brane collision or a Quantum Fluctuation (I have heard that one too), there is still a "something" there that is then acting....
Then they had might as well drop all this talk of "creation" and just admit that they believe that the universe is eternal. Whatever existed before the universe as we know it was still "the universe."