  I assess the similarities and differences between the star-formation modes in
quiescent spiral galaxies versus those in violent starburst regions. As opposed
to the quiescent star-formation mode in spiral galaxies, current empirical
evidence on the star-formation processes in the extreme, high-pressure
environments induced by galaxy encounters strongly suggests that star CLUSTER
formation is an important and perhaps even the dominant mode of star formation
in such starburst events. The sizes, luminosities, and mass estimates of the
young massive star clusters (YMCs) are entirely consistent with what is
expected for young Milky Way-type globular clusters (GCs). Recent evidence
lends support to the scenario that GCs, which were once thought to be the
oldest building blocks of galaxies, are still forming today. One of the key
unanswered questions in this field relates to their possible survival chances
for a Hubble time, and thus to the potential evolutionary connection between
YMCs and GCs.
