A Rhetorical Analysis Of Anil Seth's Speech

Anil Seth, a neuroscientist, discusses the workings of the human brain to show us that what we see may not be the reality we believe to be living in. The brain uses sensory ques to interpret information and produce the perspective that we see before us. However, these interpretations are based off the brain’s best guess given these ques. In short, the brain warps perception constantly from the information of the outside world and the prior information retained. Using props, photos and videos, Seth showed how easily our perceptions can be altered. For instance, the fake hand experiment showed that the brain can perceive an object as a part of the body because of its appearance, location, and touch. Seth was able to convey this idea through a combination of his speech, body language, and visual aids. Seth’s speech is an excellent example of how to properly use novel, memory, and emotional elements to produce a thought provoking and notable speech.

Seth followed the similar pattern as many speaker, which is to break down the discussion into smaller segments. First, he broke down the subject into two different categories. This gave the audience a direction for the speech assisting them in organizing the information in the memories. Near the end of his speech he summarized the topic into three main

takeaway points. This use of reiterating the information is a known tool audience memorization. His use of the Broadcaster’s maximum was an effect method for ensuring the audience would remember and be able to use this information because they have heard his purpose at least once throughout the speech.
The most emotional point of the speech came at the end when Seth addressed death.

By ending his speech with the subject, he left the audience with strong statement that hits close to home for everyone. Additionally, his brief explanation of why death should not be feared is a tactic to encourage the audience to continue reflecting on this topic after the speech. Furthermore, being a neuroscientist himself, Seth showed enthusiasm throughout the speech even connecting the topic to his personal experiences, as in his opener. His opening and closing sentences used two different types of emotions to get the audience’s attention and reinforce his ideas in a memorable

way.
Seth’s use of props was his attention getter. These tools allowed him to interact with the audience in multiple ways. His hand experiment was the most effect novel element of the speech. Seth gave the audience an experience that they could not only tell their friends, but replicate for them as well. The activities are examples of the limits of people’s perceptions. Seth gave his audience auditory, visual and physical examples so that every type of thinker had a tool to remember his lesson. This speech is a great example of how effective props can be for an impactful speech.