“Much of America is held together by Scotch tape, bailing wire and prayers,” says one expert of the state of the country’s dams, bridges, roadways and sewer lines.

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of standardized tests in public schools today, but differences in state standards and the reluctance of some states to spend money for high-quality, challenging tests have caused a great disparity from state to state.

As the pace of stem-cell research quickens, seven big states are financing the science in hopes of attracting the world’s best scientists.