wow a little self deprication and look what happens
Max, the table top material is a perf metal material from the mxm website, I forget who did it right now but a big thanks to whom ever did.

I know very little as to the science of what they are doing on the tables it basically limitless, but the basics are the holes on the table top are threaded so that they can mount mirrors and things in any configuration you could imagine, the legs of the table are air springs to minimize vibration and the shelving above is for all the electronics associated to with whatever they are doing.
Piem, yes the flexable piping is max nurbs modeling, and there are a few other things in the scene modeled in max, but 95% is done in ADT 2007