I know it sounds like Buckaroo Bonzai, but I have a soft spot for people on a mission.
The folks at a new type of rocket engine.
It's "throatless". I'm going to say this means that if it can be made to work (where work = not melt down or blow up) it could mean that a normal machine shop could be building rocket engines capable of putting your neighbor into orbit.
Pretty neat stuff. Certainly more fun than helping McDonalds exploit MP3's with fake-fat fries.