Embryonic stem cell scientists practice their "pitches"

For more than a decade, proponents of embryonic stem cell research have been promising cures to nearly every disease under the sun.  Deceptive claims and bloated assurances were the driving force which helped proponents of killing human embryos for research pass Proposal 2 in Michigan in 2008.  While the cures haven't emerged, scientists in California are practicing selling their bill of goods, intentionally glossing over important issues and moral concerns.

The best way to talk about stem cells may be to not talk about stem cells.

Instead, scientists are probably better off glossing over the details and avoiding terms like "embryonic" and "pluripotent" stem cells, and focusing instead on what they're trying to accomplish and who they hope to help someday......

When Alan Trounson, president of the stem cell agency, talks about the field, he skips discussing the difference between embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.

"That language is quite foreign to most people, and they often find it boring," he said. Instead, "finding an interesting anchor is the most important thing."

That may mean pulling on people's heartstrings and talking about devastating diseases like Alzheimer's or Huntington's, neither of which has a cure, and both of which are being heavily studied by stem-cell scientists. Trounson and other stem cells experts draw people into their research by talking about real-life implications first, and the lab work later.

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