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. Genetics

    A new genetic analysis reveals that modern Africans have some Neandertal DNA too

    Humans migrating back to Africa brought genetic material from humans’ extinct Neandertal relatives along for the ride.

  2. Archaeology

    A Siberian cave contains clues about two epic Neandertal treks

    Stone tools and DNA illuminate an earlier and a later journey eastward across Asia.

  3. Genetics

    Ancient kids’ DNA reveals new insights into how Africa was populated

    Four long-dead youngsters from west-central Africa have opened a window on humankind’s far-flung African origins.

  4. Anthropology

    Neandertals dove and harvested clamshells for tools near Italy’s shores

    The discovery of sharpened shells broadens the reputation of Stone Age human relatives: Neandertals weren’t just one-trick mammoth hunters.

  5. Humans

    Homo erectus arrived in Indonesia 300,000 years later than previously thought

    The extinct, humanlike hominid likely reached the island of Java by around 1.3 million years ago, a study finds.

  6. Anthropology

    Homo erectus’ last known appearance dates to roughly 117,000 years ago

    New evidence helps resolve a debate over how long ago Home erectus survived in what’s now Indonesia, a study finds.

  7. Humans

    Mysterious Denisovans emerged from the shadows in 2019

    Denisovan fossil and DNA finds this year highlighted the enigmatic hominid’s complexity and our own hybrid roots.

  8. Archaeology

    A nearly 44,000-year-old hunting scene is the oldest known storytelling art

    Cave art in Indonesia dating to at least 43,900 years ago is the earliest known storytelling art, and shows otherworldly human-animal hunters.

  9. Archaeology

    Archaeologists have finally found ancient Egyptian wax head cones

    Newly discovered wax caps are the first physical examples of apparel shown in many ancient Egyptian art works.

  10. Humans

    An ancient outbreak of bubonic plague may have been exaggerated

    Archaeological evidence suggests that an epidemic that occurred several centuries before the Black Death didn’t radically change European history.

  11. Archaeology

    Infrared images reveal hidden tattoos on Egyptian mummies

    Infrared images show a range of markings on seven female mummies, raising questions about ancient Egyptian tattoo traditions.

  12. Humans

    Archaeologists tie ancient bones to a revolt chronicled on the Rosetta Stone

    The skeleton of an ancient soldier found in the Nile Delta provides a rare glimpse into an uprising around 2,200 years ago.