Bruce Bower

Bruce Bower

Behavioral Sciences Writer

Bruce Bower has written about the behavioral sciences since 1984. He often writes about psychology, anthropology, archaeology and mental health issues. Bruce has a master's degree in psychology from Pepperdine University and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. Following an internship at Science News in 1981, he worked as a reporter at Psychiatric News, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, until joining Science News as a staff writer. In 1996, the American Psychological Association appointed Bruce a Science Writer Fellow, with a grant to visit psychological scientists of his own choosing. Early stints as an aide in a day school for children and teenagers with severe psychological problems and as a counselor in a drug diversion center provided Bruce with a surprisingly good background for a career in science journalism.

All Stories by Bruce Bower

  1. Archaeology

    Grave surprise rises in Jamestown fort

    Excavations in the 17th-century fort at Jamestown, Va., have yielded a grave containing the skeleton of a high-ranking male colonist.

  2. Sleepers yield memorable brain images

    Rapid-eye-movement sleep may help consolidate some newly acquired memories, brain scans suggest.

  3. Anthropology

    Pieces of a Disputed Past: Fossil finds enter row over humanity’s roots

    Two new fossil discoveries have fueled scientific debates about the evolutionary status of a pair of species traditionally considered to have been our direct ancestors, Homo habilis and Homo erectus.

  4. Anthropology

    Evolution’s DNA Fusion: Hybrid gene forms clue to human, ape origins

    A gene of mixed evolutionary pedigree may have transformed mammalian reproduction, leading to the evolution of apes and humans.

  5. Mental ills attract alternative therapies

    A substantial minority of people suffering from mental ailments seek out alternative treatments, such as herbal medicines and nutritional regimens, usually without telling their physicians.

  6. Archaeology

    Farming sprouted in ancient Ecuador

    Analyses of microscopic plant remains from two archaeological sites indicate that people began to grow squash in Ecuador's lowlands between 10,000 and 9,000 years ago, when agriculture was also taking root in Mexico.

  7. Energy-efficient brains

    Successful problem solving depends on a brain that efficiently lessens its workload rather than laboring harder.

  8. Checking up on abuse memories

    An unusual trove of evidence in a criminal case supports the accuracy of recall of childhood sexual abuse.

  9. Bad Sleepers Hurry Death: Snoozing soundly staves off the Big Sleep

    Healthy elderly people who experienced difficulty falling or staying asleep die from natural causes at a much higher rate than those who slept well.

  10. Cell phones distract drivers, hands down

    Laboratory experiments indicate that using a hands-free cell phone while driving markedly interferes with the ability to maneuver a vehicle safely.

  11. Sleepy brains make memorable waves

    Precisely timed electrical discharges in two parts of the brains of sleeping rodents offer clues to how slumber may foster memories of recently learned material.

  12. Essence of g

    New efforts to probe the biology of intelligence stir up a long-running controversy over what mental tests actually measure.