Algols

When leaving the Victoria airport the day before our Colloquium, I saw a van of the Dunsmuir Lodge marked with big letters which I read as "e;Alcohol Colloquium"e;. I do often make such blunders because of the global, casual, and careless way in which I read various ads, and checked myself quickly to read it correctly as "e;Algol Colloquium"e;. Millions of fellow citizens could easily make the same mistake, and no apology could be expected. Even I read and hear the word alcohol more frequently than Algol, although I must say that Algols have given me more pleasure and fewer headaches over the years; in that, however, I may be a singularity, and possibly a pitiful one at that. Being appointed Chairman of the Scientific Organizing Committee, I may be deemed to be a purer"e; Algolist"e; than other investigators, although my range of active interests is much broader; and the same is true about all the 28 invited speakers and all the other participants of the Colloquium. Our interest are strongly diversified, but there are several good reasons that brought us together at this Colloquium.