Style of language

The language used by Carson Bruns in his TED talk “Could a tattoo help you stay healthy?” contains a mix of informal and formal elements. The informal style helps Bruns draw the audience’s attention and make the information he provides more appealing. This style comes across in the use of informal phrases such as “gross mummy pic” (l. 5) “what blows my mind” (l. 27), or “Check it up!” (l. 63). These informal expressions help Bruns come across as more relatable to the audience and make his arguments more accessible. 

The more formal style can be noticed, for example, when Bruns explains how he wants to change tattooing: “By upgrading the particles, we can engineer tattooing so that it will change not only the appearance of our skin, but also the functi...