Remarkable research has shown for the first time the formation of a three-dimensional retina in a laboratory dish beginning with no more than a culture of floating embryonic stem cells. While sounding more like science fiction than fact, the breakthrough is set to fundamentally impact on both academic studies of retinal biology and on the pharmacological testing of new compounds and treatment strategies for a broad range of retinal disorders, including retinitis pigmentosa and age related macular degeneration.