Mugs,

If the energy density of light (photons) becomes sufficiently great,
heavier particles are formed, not lighter particles. It is thought that
during the first millionth of a second of the Big Bang, the state of
matter/energy was something called "quark soup". Too hot for
protons and neutrons, but too dense for photons alone.

Ken,

Why would "spatial gradients" necessarily be observed if the Big
Bang was an explosion? Are measurments of the Universe's density
at different distances and in different directions precise enough to
reveal such gradients? If I recall correctly, the north and south
Hubble deep field images differed in galaxy density by something
like a factor of two. Maybe with another dozen deep field images
you could really claim that there is no evidence for a gradient.

Also, Inflation was invented to explain the uniform temperature of
the CMBR. It should serve equally well to hide any spatial gradient
from our view.

Do you have any other reasons for believing that the Big Bang was
not an explosion?

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

__________________
http://www.FreeMars.org/jeff/

"I find astronomy very interesting, but I wouldn't if I thought we
were just going to sit here and look." -- "Van Rijn"

"The other planets? Well, they just happen to be there, but the
point of rockets is to explore them!" -- Kai Yeves