Imagine your brain as a high-performance race car—your executive function is the driver, gripping the wheel, steering...
Oscar Forrester
Very Big Brain is written by Oscar Forrester, a researcher and writer with a long-standing fascination with how the brain works. Oscar spent several years working in hospital IT, including on infection control systems, and grew up in a household shaped by medicine — his father was a physician and his mother a registered nurse. He is not a clinician himself, and nothing on this site should be taken as medical advice. What he brings instead is a rigorous, source-first approach to research, honed over two decades of writing (he’s authored numerous published books, primarily on software development), and a genuine curiosity about the science of cognition. Mr. Forrester strives to present complex topics in a clear and engaging manner, making it easy for you to understand and apply the knowledge to your daily life.
Depression isn’t just a matter of mood. It often brings a cloud of cognitive symptoms, including forgetfulness,...
You swear you’re a free spirit. You resist calendars, roll your eyes at meal preppers, and pride...
You’re standing in line, phone dead, nothing to read, nothing to do. Five minutes feel like a...
You say something hopeful—”I haven’t been sick all winter”—and then you instinctively reach out and knock on...
Stress isn’t always bad. In fact, short bursts of it can sharpen focus, improve performance, and get...
Mental energy isn’t just about caffeine or motivation—it’s a biochemical process that depends on oxygen, glucose, and...
It’s hard to focus when your brain is still processing a tough conversation, an unexpected setback, or...
For millions of people, the day doesn’t start until the first sip of coffee. It’s more than...
In your 40s and 50s, mental sharpness can start to feel a little… dulled. You’re still capable,...