The era of "Googie" design and architecture is half a century ago — but in many ways, it feels fresher than anything that's come along since. The optimism and brightness that comes out of these buildings and their facades still shines out like a sign of what humans are capable of when we believe. To see these Space Age…

What is the Swarf, and why should you beware it? More importantly, how can I keep this scary metal dog from biting me? I can't stop looking at scary utopian British posters from the mid-twentieth century, with their Googie optimism.

When TrekMovie.com asked designer Scott Chambliss what influences he and director J.J. Abrams lifted from for the new Star Trek, he listed only one name: Finnish-American designer Eero Saarinen. And it's easy to see why: Saarinen's creations define space awesomeness.