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

    The rise of farming altered our bite and changed how people talk

    Eating soft, processed foods refashioned adults' jaws, which added “f” and “v” sounds to speech and changed languages worldwide, a study finds.

  2. Anthropology

    Hominids may have hunted rabbits as far back as 400,000 years ago

    Stone Age groups in Europe put small game on the menu surprisingly early.

  3. Archaeology

    A 2,000-year-old tattoo tool is the oldest in western North America

    The artifact is made of two pigment-stained cactus spines, and has been sitting in storage since its discovery in 1972.

  4. Archaeology

    Ancient Angkor’s mysterious decline may have been slow, not sudden

    Analyzing sediment from the massive city’s moat challenges the idea that the last capital of the Khmer Empire collapsed suddenly.

  5. Anthropology

    African hominid fossils show ancient steps toward a two-legged stride

    New Ardipithecus ramidus fossils reveal how hominids were shifting toward humanlike walking more than 4 million years ago.

  6. Psychology

    STEM professors’ beliefs on intelligence may widen the racial achievement gap

    Seeing intelligence as fixed can result in lower grades, especially for certain minorities

  7. Archaeology

    The spread of Europe’s giant stone monuments may trace back to one region

    Megaliths spread across the continent due to seafarers’ influence, researcher says.

  8. Genetics

    DNA reveals early mating between Asian herders and European farmers

    A new genetic analysis could upend assumptions about the origins of Indo-European languages.

  9. Anthropology

    New dates narrow down when Denisovans and Neandertals crossed paths

    Mysterious ancient hominids called Denisovans and their Neandertal cousins periodically occupied the same cave starting around 200,000 years ago.

  10. Anthropology

    Why modern javelin throwers hurled Neandertal spears at hay bales

    A sporting event with replica weapons suggests that Neandertals’ spears may have been made for throwing, not just stabbing.

  11. Anthropology

    Dogs may have helped ancient Middle Easterners hunt small game

    Jordanian finds point to pooch-aided hunting of small prey around 11,500 years ago, offering new clues into dog domestication in the Middle East.

  12. Archaeology

    Our fascination with robots goes all the way back to antiquity

    In the book ‘Gods and Robots,’ a scholar recounts how early civilizations explored artificial life through myths.