  This is the text of an introduction to a workshop on asymmetric explosions
held in Austin in June, 2003. The great progress in supernova research over
thirty-odd years is briefly reviewed. The context in which the meeting was
called is then summarized. The theoretical success of the intrinsically
multidimensional delayed detonation paradigm in explaining the nature of Type
Ia supernovae coupled with new techniques of observations in the near IR and
with spectropolarimetry promise great advances in understanding binary
progenitors, the explosion physics, and the ever more accurate application to
cosmology. Spectropolarimetry has also revealed the strongly asymmetric nature
of core collapse and given valuable perspectives on the supernova - gamma-ray
burst connection. The capability of the magneto-rotational instability to
rapidly create strong toroidal magnetic fields in the core collapse ambiance is
outlined. This physics may be the precursor to driving MHD jets that play a
role in asymmetric supernovae. Welcome to the brave new world of
three-dimensional explosions!
