1. Welcome & Opening Remarks
Itzhak Tserruya
PANIC 2008, Eilat Nov. 9-14, 2008

2. (I) Head, Dept of Particle Physics, Weizmann Institute
Welcome
(I) Head, Dept of Particle Physics, Weizmann Institute
Itzhak Tserruya
PANIC 2008, Eilat Nov. 9-14, 2008

3. The Historical Connection
The idea of bringing together the Particle and Nuclear Physics communities grew up in the 1960s. The first PANIC meeting was organized at CERN in 1964 by Torlief Ericson and the late Victor Weisskopf and Amos de Shalit of the Weizmann Institute, Israel.
This first small `private' meeting was succeeded in 1967 by the second PANIC meeting which was open to all and held in Israel, at the Weizmann Institute.
Itzhak Tserruya
PANIC 2008, Eilat Nov. 9-14, 2008

4. Historical Connection (II)
These are the seeds upon which a significant fraction of Israeli physics developed since then, with fairly strong groups in Nuclear, Particle and later on also in AstroPhysics.
We wish to continue and further strengthen this tradition by holding PANIC08 in Israel.

5. Welcome (II) Chair, PANIC08
On behalf of the mini Local Organizing Committee
Avraham Gal, co-chair
Danny Ashery, co-chair
Eli Piasetzky
Itzhak Tserruya
PANIC 2008, Eilat Nov. 9-14, 2008

6. PANIC08 in numbers
~ 560 registrations (including acc. persons) and still growing
134 students & post-docs
26 plenary talks
562 abstracts submitted
46 invited parallel talks
247 oral contributions
115 Posters
Itzhak Tserruya
PANIC 2008, Eilat Nov. 9-14, 2008

7. Announcements
Please wear your badge at all times as a pass to the conference events. If lost or stolen report asap to the registration desk.
Free WiFi is available to all PANIC participants in the public areas and all (some) guest rooms of the Dan Eilat (Dan Panorama). Login : panic and password : 2008
Speakers: please upload your talk into the Indico system, or bring it to the preview room (Dolphin room) not later than 5:00pm of the day preceding your talk.
For last minute changes to the agenda refer to the Indico system or to the daily program posted at the entrance of each hall.
Two shuttle vans will operate between the Dan Eilat and Dan Panorama hotels during the parallel sessions. Present your badge to board them.
Itzhak Tserruya
PANIC 2008, Eilat Nov. 9-14, 2008

8. Announcements
Reservations for excursions (the optional tours on Wednesday, accompanying persons tours and Petra tour on Saturday) can be made today and tomorrow between 12:00- 16:30 at the tour reservation desk.
Buses will depart from Eilat on Friday at 2:00 pm to:
Ben Gurion Airport, Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv: reservation at the registration desk
Rehovot : pls sign sheets posted near the registration desk.
You should know that the entrance to many public places is guarded by security personnel who may ask to inspect your bag. This is standard routine.
Itzhak Tserruya
PANIC 2008, Eilat Nov. 9-14, 2008

9. PANIC Scientific Secretariat
Reut Hershenhoren
Dan Knassim
I wish all and each one of us a most stimulating and enjoyable week
Ana Weksler
Itzhak Tserruya
PANIC 2008, Eilat Nov. 9-14, 2008
Debi Ben Moshe