Are images more powerful than words? From family games to fatal attacks, this year’s prize-winning photos of the natural world tell an inspiring story.
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Tiger mum teaches cub survival class
Are images more powerful than words? From family games to fatal attacks, this year's prize-winning photos of the natural world tell an inspiring story.
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A tiger's paws flash through the air, each one of its sharp claws stretched out. Another tiger throws back its head, teeth bared as the attack grazes its chin.
This is the winning image from the Nature's Best Photographs Awards 2024. It shows a Bengal tiger giving her cub "a masterclass in survival".
The other photos from this year's show a pair of barred owlets seeming to shake hands as they perch on a branch. Or a green parakeet biting down on the tail of a monitor lizard in an Indian national park. Looking at the winners, it is easy to believe that images are much more powerful than words.
Humans are also more likely to remember images than text.
But pictures struggle to communicate ideas. Words are better at influencing people's opinions, perhaps because reading is more active than watching.
In a recent study, scientists showed how text was more likely to change minds over time. One researcher explained: "when people read the news they become more involved than if they watch it".
Are images more powerful than words?
Yes! Human brains have evolved to respond to images more quickly and with more emotion that to words.
No! Pictures may be moving, but when it comes to changing someone's mind, text is best.
Tiger mum teaches cub survival class
Dramatic: Mangesh Desai who took the winning image (above) says that nature photography is more than capturing moments. Rather it is "a profound connection to the Earth and its countless marvels".