Making embryos: a new way? Appeared in BioNews 1091 Recently there have been some phenomenal reports describing the ability to generate human embryo-like entities directly from stem cells, circumventing the need for egg and sperm. In the same week, researchers from Israel reported the development of post-implantation mouse embryos outside of the uterus to the 'mid-point' of mouse pregnancy; an achievement previously firmly within the realm of science fiction. The work is clearly at the leading edge of cell and developmental biology and challenges the paradigms of what it takes to create an embryo. However, like many ground-breaking studies, it is essential to reflect on what lies beneath.