  I review the foundational motivation which led us to the ultra relativistic
heavy ion collision research at SPS, RHIC and now LHC: the quantum vacuum
structure; the deconfined nature of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) phase filling the
Universe for the first 30$\mu$s after the big-bang; the origin of stable matter
mass; and of the origin of flavor. The special role of strangeness enhancement
and strange antibaryon signature is highlighted. It is shown how hadron
production can be used to determine the properties of QGP, and how the
threshold energy for QGP formation is determined.
