>>>1) What force originally placed the current energy in the atoms in their current form?
>>
>>The "strong" force.
>>
>>>2) What force is holding them together now?
>>
>>The "strong" force.
>>
>>
>>Physicists consider there are four basic forces in nature: gravitation, the "strong" force, the "weak" force, and the electric/magnetic forces.
>>
>>The "strong" force holds protons together - at a short distance, this force is stronger than the repulsive electrostatic force.
>>
>>At longer distances, it seems that this force has no influence.
>>
>>Hilmar.
>
>Cool Hilmar!
>
> So are you familiar with the 'unfolding of the space-time continuum', '10 to the 40th' and all that too?

Not entirely. I did some reading on recent hypotheses in string theory - might be related to what you say.

Does the "unfolding" refer to the idea that space itself becomes larger with the expansion of the universe?

Anyway, the "four forces" are older knowledge - what is more recent is the theories that try to unite them into one single force. Supposedly, at very high temperatures (much higher than the temperature you would find in the core of a supernova or hypernova explosion), there might be a single force.

Hilmar.