  Statistical calculations within the Standard Model indicate that at extremely
high densities the quarks and gluons will become deconfined, leading to a new
state of matter, the so-called Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). Recently it was
announced at CERN that compelling evidence has been obtained from experimental
data that indeed the formation of a deconfined state has been achieved in very
energetic collisions of heavy nuclei. In this presentation I will provide an
overview of the main aspects of heavy-ion physics and will address the various
observations which indicate the possible creation of a deconfined state. To
enable a systematic study of the QGP state, a combined measurement of the
various observables is needed. It will be shown how this can be realised within
the ALICE experiment at the future LHC collider.
