15 Expanding Brain Examples Where The Logic Is So Absurdly "Galaxy Brain" It Hurts
What is the "Expanding Brain" Meme?
The Expanding Brain (also known as Galaxy Brain) is a multi-panel "exploitable" image series used to rank ideas, behaviors, or objects. Unlike traditional Tier Lists, this meme relies on post-irony: the most "enlightened" brain typically represents the most absurd or counter-intuitive choice.
Origins and Viral Timeline
The meme originated in early 2017, evolving from a specific linguistic joke.
- January 31, 2017: The first known iteration appeared on Reddit's r/dankmemes by user janskishimanski. It mocked the pseudo-intellectual use of the word "who" by escalating it to "whomst’d’ve."
- February 2017: According to Know Your Meme, the template decoupled from the "Whomst" joke and became a universal format for any topic involving escalating logic.
- 2018 – Present: The meme achieved "evergreen" status. It is frequently cited in Wikipedia's internet culture entries as a prime example of the "Expanding" format.
Primary Usage Scenarios
- The Ironic Reversal: Comparing a logical, common-sense solution (Small Brain) to a convoluted or "stupid" alternative (Galaxy Brain). The joke is that the person doing the "dumb" thing thinks they are a genius.
- Linguistic Complexity: Following the original "Whomst" logic, this ranks words from basic English to overly complex, often made-up jargon.
- Life Hack Parody: Highlighting "over-engineered" solutions to simple daily problems.
