The origins of the universe: why is there something rather than nothing?

Perhaps the greatest mystery is why the universe exists in the first place. How is it possible for something to emerge from nothing, or has a universe in some form always existed ? This question of origins-both of the universe as a whole and of the fundamental laws of physics-raises profound scientific, philosophical, and religious questions, culminating in the most basic existential question of all: Why are we here ? Discussion of this and related questions is presented in this paper.