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

    The study of human heredity got its start in insane asylums

    ‘Genetics in the Madhouse’ reveals how human heredity research began as a statistical science in 19th century insane asylums.

  2. Psychology

    Kids today are waiting longer than ever in the classic marshmallow test

    Preschoolers wait longer for extra treats than they used to. What does it mean?

  3. Anthropology

    Koko the gorilla is gone, but she left a legacy

    An ape that touched millions imparted some hard lessons about primate research.

  4. Anthropology

    A 2,200-year-old Chinese tomb held a new gibbon species, now extinct

    Researchers have discovered a new gibbon species in an ancient royal Chinese tomb. It's already extinct.

  5. Psychology

    Phone apps are helping scientists track suicidal thoughts in real time

    Researchers are using smartphones to tap into the ups and downs of suicidal thinking that occur over hours and days, hoping to help prevent suicides.

  6. Archaeology

    This theory suggests few workers were needed to cap Easter Island statues

    A small workforce may have put huge stones on the heads of Easter Island statues.

  7. Climate

    The first Americans could have taken a coastal route into the New World

    Alaskan glaciers retreated in time for ancient coastal entries of the first Americans.

  8. Animals

    Pregnant bonobos get a little delivery help from their friends

    As in humans, female bonobos become helpers for mothers giving birth, data from captive apes suggest.

  9. Anthropology

    Ancient Chinese farmers sowed literal seeds of change in Southeast Asia

    Two waves of ancient migration from China to Southeast Asia spread farming and languages.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Kids are selective imitators, not extreme copycats

    Preschool-age kids have a reputation as “overimitators” based on lab tests. But in realistic test situations, kids don’t blindly imitate adults.

  11. Humans

    The window for learning a language may stay open surprisingly long

    A crucial period for language learning may extend well into teen years, a new study suggests.

  12. Anthropology

    Butchered rhino bones place hominids in the Philippines 700,000 years ago

    Stone tools and butchery marks point to an ancient hominid presence on islands in the Philippines.