Besides the aspect of a "creator," and their power over our universe, if ours was a "physical lab-grown universe," would that matter so much? I mean, to me, that would still mean our universe if "real," if created by some other entity. It would make for a very strange reality, but one that in many ways is not different from a "natural" universe.

I haven't heard of the idea before that our universe has net zero energy. I'
ll have to check out that book.