Puzzles, Progress, Prospects: pre-Summary for the Quark Matter 2009 Conference Original Research Article

The new millenniumʹs qualitative advances in relativistic heavy ion physics are in part due to, and are in part causing, a new appreciation for quantitative rigor in both experimental and theoretical work in the field. In these proceedings for the conference-opening “pre-Summary” talk I present an annotated guide to the figures and points made in my talk [http://qm09.phys.utk.edu/indico/getFile.py/access?contribId=491&sessionId=25&resId=0&materialId=slides&confId=1].