A tiger's paws flash through the air, each one of its razor-sharp claws fully extended. Another tiger throws back its head, teeth bared as the attack grazes its chin. Muscles quiver, water flies, and you can almost hear the angry growls. But the two tigers are just having some fun.

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".¹ Younger tigers learn to defend themselves and attack their prey through these kinds of rough-and-tumble games.

Bengal tigers are the biggest cats in the world. They can weigh over 350kg - as much as the heaviest motorbikes - and run at 65km/h. No two tigers have the same stripes, each pattern unique as a fingerprint.² The chosen picture reveals the playfulness and the toughness required for them to survive in the wild.

The other photos from this year's competition range from the sublimeOf the greatest excellence and beauty.  to the ridiculous. A pair of barred owlets seeming to shake hands as they perch on a branch. A green parakeet biting down on the tail of a monitor lizard in an Indian national park. A vast cloud settling above the mountain peaks of South Georgia Island, turned the colour of lava by the light of a low sun.

The prize dates back to 1995. It aims to celebrate the planet's "breath-taking landscapes [and] fascinating wildlife behaviour".³ Looking at the winners, it is easy to conclude that images are much more powerful than words.

A picture is worth a thousand words, according to the old clicheA phrase, remark, or opinion that has very often been said or expressed before and is therefore not original and not interesting., but modern science agrees. The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. Furthermore, 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, and we respond to images more strongly than to other types of data.⁴

Humans are also more likely to remember images than text. Psychologists call this the picture superiority effect, and advertisers understand it too. From cars to clothes, films to footballers, images are vital for selling almost any product.

But maybe our brains put too much trust in images. Pictures show emotions, but they struggle to communicate ideas. That is why we need text to explain a concept, or articulateSpeaking clearly about a subject. the complexities of a thought.

Words are better at influencing people's opinions, too, perhaps because reading is more active than watching. In a recent study, scientists showed how text was more likely to change minds over the long term. One researcher explained: "when people read the news they become more involved than if they watch it".⁵

Shrinking attention spans mean our culture is becoming more visual. At the same time, AI technology makes it easier to create images that manipulate people's emotions. Pictures may be powerful, yet that does not make them true.

But, when you look at the winning photos from this year's nature prize, those worries disappear. Here is a side of animal life we rarely see: sometimes intimate, other times violent, but always able to fill our hearts with wonder.

Are images more powerful than words?

Yes: Human brains have evolved to respond to images more quickly and with more emotion. Science and advertising show that pictures have a bigger effect than text.

No: Pictures may be moving, but when it comes to changing someone's mind, text is best. Words are the way to articulate ideas, while reading demands more intellectual involvement.

Or... Words and images play different roles, so there's no need to choose between them. But photos revealing animals' hidden sides have a special claim on the heart.