The universe is all things.
>
>Why all of a suddenly did the big bang occur,
A thing can not come from no thing,
action is reaction and requires cause.
Time did not begin;
the universe is eternal, it has always been.
>
>Is it infinite?
It seems to be unless you are omniscient and quantify all things.
>
>Surely the universe is not infinite,
You can not prove that unless you are God.
>
>there must be some external influence to allow atoms to congrugate.
There is no thing outside the one thing which is all things( uni-verse).
If it exists, it is in the universe.
>
>what is at the edge of the universe
>some sort of plasma field holding it together.
You are confusing the universe with the known universe;
that is a |---| --|-- |--| mistake, common too.
| | | | |
|---| | | _ _
| | | | |
|---| --|-- |--|