“They can dance on the tip of a needle. They are human life in its earliest, most microscopically and miraculously tiny form: five-day-old embryos that look a bit like blackberries — 200 or so blue–black cells covered in fluff and clustered into a ball” (The Observer UK, 8 July 2001).

'They', or rather, cells derived from them, are also at the centre of a political storm in the USA. The enormous potential of embryonic stem (ES) cells to treat diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's is not in doubt, but there has been intense opposition to ES cell research from pro-life groups, who object to “destroying what they consider potential human life” (Washington Post, 17 July 2001).

President George W. Bush must decide whether human ES cell research should be funded by federal money. But even his own Republican Party, which traditionally opposes abortion, is divided, some believing that abortion and ES cells are separate issues. Senator Gordon Smith argues: “Life does not begin in a petri dish; it begins with a mother. Being pro-life means helping the living as well” (Washington Post, 17 July 2001). Nancy Reagan, wife of former president Ronald Reagan, who has Alzheimer's, is also reported to be in favour of human ES cell research (Times UK, 14 July 2001).

Opponents of the research argue that adult stem cells might have equal potential. However, the National Institutes of Health issue the following caveat: “it is impossible to predict which stem cells — those derived from the embryo, the fetus or the adult — will best meet the needs of basic research and clinical applications. The answers clearly lie in conducting more research” (Washington Post, 17 July 2001).