SCOTT: In 2002, U.S. scientists were prominent. Now, not so much. It’s folks from Israel, the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore and China–places where stem-cell research is permitted, even encouraged.

I don’t think we’ll see [U.S.] government funding for this of any real sort, which means America may need to take it state by state. It’s a sad way of doing big science but it may be the only way to get it done.