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

    In 1967, LSD was briefly labeled a breaker of chromosomes

    Claims that the hallucinogenic drug damaged DNA were quickly rejected. But questions remain about how LSD works.

  2. Science & Society

    Online reviews can make over-the-counter drugs look way too effective

    Online patient reviews put a far more misleading spin on medications than clinical trials do.

  3. Archaeology

    Ancient nomadic herders beat a path to the Silk Road

    Herders’ mountain treks helped mold the Silk Road, an ancient, cross-continental trade network.

  4. Psychology

    Nudging people to make good choices can backfire

    Steering people’s decisions with simple nudges, such as e-mail reminders or opt-out programs, can come with a downside.

  5. Anthropology

    ‘Monkeytalk’ invites readers into the complex social world of monkeys

    In Monkeytalk, a primatologist evaluates what’s known about monkeys’ complex social lives in the wild.

  6. Ecosystems

    If you think the Amazon jungle is completely wild, think again

    Ancient Amazonians partly or fully domesticated fruit and nut trees that still dominate some forests.

  7. Anthropology

    Power may have passed via women in ancient Chaco Canyon society

    DNA points to a 330-year-long reign of a maternal dynasty centered in New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon.

  8. Anthropology

    Low-status chimps revealed as trendsetters

    Outranked chimpanzees trigger spread of useful new behaviors among their comrades.

  9. Psychology

    Physically abused kids learn to fail at social rules for success

    What physically abused kids learn about rewards at home can lead to misbehavior elsewhere.

  10. Psychology

    Long-lasting mental health isn’t normal

    Those who stay mentally healthy from childhood to middle age are exceptions to the rule.

  11. Archaeology

    Cow carved in stone paints picture of Europe’s early human culture

    Stone Age engraving helps to illuminate European travels of an ancient human culture.

  12. Archaeology

    Iron Age secrets exhumed from riches-filled crypt

    Wealthy woman’s 2,600-year-old grave highlights Central Europe’s early Iron Age links to Mediterranean societies.