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. Humans

    Cold Comfort

    A futuristic play of cryogenic proportions.

  2. Humans

    Cold Comfort

    A futuristic play of cryogenic proportions.

  3. Anthropology

    Chinese Roots: Skull may complicate human-origins debate

    A Chinese Homo sapiens skull, estimated in a controversial new study to be at least 68,000 years old and probably more than 100,000 years old, may challenge the theory that modern humans originated solely in Africa.

  4. Anthropology

    Chinese Roots: Skull may complicate human-origins debate

    A Chinese Homo sapiens skull, estimated in a controversial new study to be at least 68,000 years old and probably more than 100,000 years old, may challenge the theory that modern humans originated solely in Africa.

  5. Anthropology

    Ethiopians reveal high-altitude twist

    To the surprise of researchers, blood measures of oxygen-rich hemoglobin in Ethiopian villagers living more than 2 miles above sea level are the same as those of lowland dwellers.

  6. Anthropology

    Ethiopians reveal high-altitude twist

    To the surprise of researchers, blood measures of oxygen-rich hemoglobin in Ethiopian villagers living more than 2 miles above sea level are the same as those of lowland dwellers.

  7. Paleontology

    New fossil weighs in on primate origins

    A 55-million-year-old primate skeleton found in Wyoming indicates that the common ancestor of modern monkeys, apes, and people was built primarily for hanging tightly onto tree branches.

  8. Paleontology

    New fossil weighs in on primate origins

    A 55-million-year-old primate skeleton found in Wyoming indicates that the common ancestor of modern monkeys, apes, and people was built primarily for hanging tightly onto tree branches.

  9. Archaeology

    Neandertals’ diet put meat in their bones

    Chemical analyses of Neandertals' bones portray these ancient Europeans as skillful hunters and avid meat eaters, countering a theory that they mainly scavenged scraps of meat from abandoned carcasses.

  10. Brain’s Moving Experience: Motion illusion yields a neural surprise

    A brain-imaging study indicates that the primary motor cortex, the control center for issuing motor commands, also aids in the perception of the body's position and planning for upcoming movements.

  11. Neural-learning ventures

    Sets of neurons may modify their activity in several ways to facilitate a basic type of learning.

  12. Dancing with feeling

    Indian classical dance provides a new way for scientists to explore cross-cultural understanding of emotions.