Enterprise-Wide Disclosures - Schedule of Sources of Revenues (Details)		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
CIRM Grant Income [Member]
Percentage of total revenues	[1]	0.00%	38.00%	42.70%
NIH Grant Income [Member]
Percentage of total revenues	[2]	5.00%	0.00%	6.50%
IIA (formerly OCS) Grant Income (Cell Cure, Israel) [Member]
Percentage of total revenues		43.20%	24.00%	14.40%
Subscriptions, Advertising and Other (various customers) [Member]
Percentage of total revenues	[3]	49.40%	35.00%	29.40%
Other [Member]
Percentage of total revenues		2.40%	3.00%	7.00%

[1] Reflects income from grants to Asterias from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) prior to the Asterias Deconsolidation.

[2] For 2017, reflects income from grants to BioTime from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For 2015, reflects income from grants to ReCyte from the NIH.

[3] For each of 2017 and 2016, one individual customer represents greater than 5% of total revenues. For 2015, no individual customer greater than 5% of total revenues.