Rhetorical situation

Sender

The sender of the TED talk “Could a tattoo help you stay healthy?” is Carson Bruns. At the time when he delivered the talk, Bruns was an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado and the director of the Laboratory for Emergent Nanomaterials. He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry.

Bruns directly mentions his professional background in the talk: “While I’m an artist, I’m also a scientist, and I direct a laboratory that researches nanotechnology” (l. 34). Mentioning his dual background helps Bruns appear more qualified and reliable, as it suggests he can appreciate tattoos for both their artistic value and their technological potential. Bruns also characterizes himself as “obsessed with color” (l. 20) and loves tattoos bec...