_Space Men: Hubble's Astronomy Visualization Lab
A site dedicated to visual effects in the movie industry names a group of four government contractors in Maryland as possibly "one of the most influential entities in the field of visual effects."

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the AVL team may be one of the best-respected effects crews in the country. Their work has found its way into a shocking number of Hollywood effects. Gitlin said, "You see our images -- or parts of them -- used in the backgrounds of video games, where it influences the look of a whole production, or in shows where they use our actual clips and re-colorize them."

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_With Derring-Do And Airplane Glue
A band of engineers going as far back as NASA's Gemini program are on the verge of launching a home-brew attempt at the first transatlantic flight of a model plane. One gallon of fuel, that's roughly 3000 miles per gallon.
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