They discovered that the brain organoids continued to change and mature over the years, despite never having been inside an embryo, let alone a body. Nature, Published online: 19 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10877-xHuman brain organoids were developed for over five years in culture to demonstrate that brain cells can continue to mature and record the passage of time, following human-specific endogenous programs, even outside the context of the organism. Key points and original sources are listed below.

• They discovered that the brain organoids continued to change and mature over the years, despite never having been inside an embryo, let alone a body.S1

• Nature, Published online: 19 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10877-xHuman brain organoids were developed for over five years in culture to demonstrate that brain cells can continue to mature and record the passage of time, following human-specific endogeno...S2