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Advances in stem cell research as Obama lifts restrictions  The
recent weeks have seen major advances in work that is directed
toward …  The study of embryonic stem cells has been tangled up
in politics almost from the start. Although a substantial
majority of the US public supports research into their medical
applications, a significant minority is uncomfortable with some
of the ethical issues involved. The intersection between science
and politics was very apparent today, as President Obama
announced the lifting of Bush-era restrictions on federal
funding of stem cell research. That move comes during a time
when researchers have announced several major steps towards
developing techniques that may some day eliminate the need to
use embryonic stem cells.  Stem cell science  First, the
science. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are derived shortly
after fertilization, at a time when the cells are known to be
capable of forming adult tissue. As such,