In As You Like It, Shakespeare famously wrote about human life being divided into seven ages, from the “mewling” infant to the “second childishness” of the very elderly (he really did have a way with words, did old Bill). That was less science, more symbolism – but now, neuroscientists have revealed how the human brain really does seem to go through five ages, or epochs, over the course of a lifetime. 

Studying brain scans from nearly 4,000 people across the whole spectrum of human life, from newborns to 90-year-olds, a team has identified four “turning points” at which the brain undergoes seismic shifts, which therefore divide its lifespan into five periods.

The turning points happen, according to the data, at age 9, 32, 66, and 83.

“We know the brain’s wiring is crucial to our development, but we lack a big picture of how it changes across our lives and why,” said lead author Dr Alexa Mousley of the University of Cambridge in a statement. “This study is the first to identify major phases of brain wiring across a human lifespan.”