If you subscribe to the
Big Bang Theory, and
Superstring Theory, at the first instant of the Big Bang, a 10-dimensional
universe was split into six rolled-up less-than-nano-sized dimensions, and the four dimensions that we normally experience. All of the matter in the universe was blended with all of the energy in the universe in a form called
quark-gluon plasma.
At 10-43 seconds after the Big Bang, the universe was the size of a proton, in the form of quark-gluon plasma. Only one force existed - quantum gravity. The temperature dropped to 1032°K, and the gravity force separated from the other three forces. The size of the universe was doubling once every 10-35 seconds.
At 10-9 seconds after the Big Bang, the four forces (gravity, electomagnetic, strong, and weak) separated completely (up until this point the weak and electromagnetic forces were still combined). The universe was the size of a bowling ball, and the matter in the universe was in the form of quarks, leptons, and trapped photons. The temperature of the universe had dropped to a balmy 1015°K.
At two minutes after the Big Bang, the universe had become cool enough for protons and neutrons to stabilize into nuclei. This would be the last major development for around 300,000 years.
Fast forward... at 300,000 years after the Big Bang, the first atoms formed. The temperature dropped to a much more reasonable 3000°K, and just as importantly, the universe became transparent, allowing photons to travel freely. But it wasn't until around 100 million years after the Big Bang that heavier elements like carbon formed.
Of course, the kind of people who believe in crap like that are the same people who try to convince you that the world is round, or that diseases are caused by microscopic organisms called "germs". Sheesh.
The Custodian - The process exists for transforming lead into gold without destroying the
Earth. The amount of energy it requires, though, makes the resultant product less than worth the effort. Although that doesn't stop scientists from wasting time doing it...