A number of physical phenomena are predicted to operate in astrophysical <br /><br />
settings theoretically and may be crucial for understanding the nature <br /><br />
of astrophysical objects. Magnetorotational instability (MRI) and <br /><br />
magnetic <br /><br />
dynamos are examples of such processes believed to be the key to the <br /><br />
origin and growth of magnetic fields in galaxies, accretion flows, <br /><br />
stars, planets and Universe as a whole. Although firmly predicted and <br /><br />
verified in theory, MRI has not been robustly reproduced in a physical <br /><br />
laboratory here on Earth. Recently, we discovered and successfully <br /><br />
observed <br /><br />
the analogue of MRI in a Couette-Taylor Flow of Polymer Fluids. A <br /><br />
limited <br /><br />
cases of a constrained dynamo have been reproduced in Riga and Karlsruhe <br /><br />
experiments. There are a number of groups working and building <br /><br />
laboratory <br /><br />
experiments to verify and study MRI and dynamos. I will review the <br /><br />
progress <br /><br />
made in these experiments, including works that I have been <br /><br />
involved with. <br /><br />