First almost fully-formed human brain grown in lab, researchers claim

> The ethical concerns were non-existent, said Anand. “We don’t have any sensory stimuli entering the brain. This brain is not thinking in any way.”

I'm sure this brain isn't conscious, but how do they know that? Is "sensory stimuli" a prerequisite for consciousness? I don't know what it could be thinking about ("hm, the vibe is really ... numb here") but do we know the prerequisites for consciousness?

The title is misleading (or linkbait (or false)). From the article:

> Though not conscious the miniature brain, which resembles that of a five-week-old foetus, [...]

> The brain, which is about the size of a pencil eraser, [...]

If confirmed, it is bigger and it has more structure than the previous attempts, but it's not "almost fully-formed".