Equity, Preferred and Common Shares (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Oct. 01, 2013	May 31, 2013
Preferred Shares [Abstract]
Preferred shares, shares authorized (in shares)	2,000,000	1,000,000		1,000,000
Preferred shares, issued and outstanding (in shares)	0	0
Common Shares [Abstract]
Common shares, authorized (in shares)	125,000,000	75,000,000		75,000,000
Common shares, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Common shares, shares issued (in shares)	67,412,139	51,183,318
Common shares, shares outstanding (in shares)	56,714,424	49,383,209
Treasury stock (in shares)	10,697,715	1,800,109
Options exercised (in shares)		98,541
Gross proceeds from issuance of common shares	$ 22,297,209	$ 1,002,220
Cash received from investors	(5,255,502)	(250,000)
Exercised (in dollars per share)		$ 2.91
Proceeds from issuance of stock and warrants to private investor		286,552
Initial exercise price of unit (in dollars per share)			$ 5.00
Asterias Biotherapeutics [Member]
Common Shares [Abstract]
Stock issued during period (in shares)	8,902,077
Initial exercise price of unit (in dollars per share)	$ 5.00
Cell Cure Nuerosciences ,Ltd. [Member]
Common Shares [Abstract]
Number of shares purchased (in shares)	87,456
LifeMap Sciences, Inc. [Member]
Common Shares [Abstract]
Treasury stock (in shares)		513,935
Stock issued during period (in shares)		592,533
Market value of common shares issued		2,750,003
Cash received from investors		250,000
Shares received by subsidiary (in shares)		1,714,287
Sale of stock by subsidiary (in shares)		78,598
Proceeds from sale of stock by subsidiary		282,826
Merger of XenneX with LifeMap Sciences, Inc. [Member]
Common Shares [Abstract]
Stock issued during period (in shares)		448,429
BioTime Acquisition Corporation [Member]
Common Shares [Abstract]
Stock issued during period (in shares)	8,902,077
Number of shares issued in exchange for shares of The Company (in shares)	906,735
Warrants issued (in shares)	8,000,000
Landlord [Member]
Common Shares [Abstract]
Stock issued during period (in shares)	73,553
Market value of common shares issued	242,726
Value of common shares issued	253,758
Certain investors [Member]
Common Shares [Abstract]
Stock issued during period (in shares)	2,180,016
Gross proceeds from issuance of common shares	9,057,967
Warrants issued (in shares)	545,004
Number of shares in a unit (in shares)	1
Number of warrants in a unit (in shares)	0.025
Offering price of unit (in dollars per share)	$ 4.155
Initial exercise price of unit (in dollars per share)	$ 5.00
Life of warrants	5 years
Private Investors [Member]
Common Shares [Abstract]
Stock issued during period (in shares)	1,350,000
Gross proceeds from issuance of common shares	5,000,000
Warrants issued (in shares)	649,999
Cantor Fitzgerald Controlled Equity Offering [Member]
Common Shares [Abstract]
Stock issued during period (in shares)	3,665,646	314,386
Gross proceeds from issuance of common shares	15,722,339	1,131,279
Aggregate offering price	$ 25,000,000