It is widely anticipated that human embryonic stem (ES) cells will serve as an experimental model for studying early development in our species, and, conversely, that studies of development in model systems, the mouse in particular, will inform our efforts to manipulate human stem cells in vitro. A comparison of primate and mouse ES cells suggests that a common underlying blueprint for the pluripotent state has undergone significant species-specific modification. As we discuss here, technical advances in the propagation and manipulation of human ES cells have improved our understanding of their growth and differentiation, providing the potential to investigate early human development and to develop new clinical therapies.