What Is the Expanding Brain Meme? Origin & How to Use It
Learn about the Expanding Brain meme, its origin, and how the galaxy brain format works. Create your own for free.
The Expanding Brain meme (also called Galaxy Brain or Brain Size meme) is a multi-panel format showing a series of brain images that get progressively larger and more luminous. Each panel is paired with a statement, escalating from a mundane idea to an increasingly absurd or "enlightened" take.
The format originated in early 2017 on Reddit and 4chan. The original version used images ranging from a small brain to a cosmic, glowing brain. It quickly became one of the most popular meme formats of that year.
How It Works
The first panel shows a regular brain with a basic, obvious, or mainstream idea. Each subsequent panel shows a bigger, more glowing brain paired with a more unusual, contrarian, or absurd take. The final panel (galaxy brain) features the most ridiculous or ironically "genius" statement.
Types of Expanding Brain Memes
There are two main ways to use the format. The ironic version escalates from sensible to absurd, with the "galaxy brain" take being the dumbest. The sincere version escalates from bad to good, with the final panel being genuinely the best option. Most popular versions use the ironic approach.
Why It Works
The format taps into the universal experience of overthinking simple problems. It also lets creators build a narrative across multiple panels, making it more engaging than simple two-panel memes.