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. Psychology

    People see own good but gossip about others’ misdeeds

    Daily cellphone surveys probe the gap between the focus on personal virtue and negative chatter.

  2. Archaeology

    More signs emerge of New World settlers before 20,000 years ago

    Controversial stone tools of pre-Clovis humans have been excavated in South America.

  3. Psychology

    Simple rules can ease complex financial decisions

    Straightforward strategies, known as heuristics, can be indispensable tools for keeping credit card debt in check as well as for making complex business decisions.

  4. Anthropology

    Siberians came to North American Arctic in two waves

    Siberian ancestors of the modern-day Inuit replaced a 4,000-year-old North American Arctic culture, a DNA study reveals.

  5. Anthropology

    Richard III ate like a king before biting the dust

    King Richard III’s brief reign included a sudden shift to eating fancy food and drink.

  6. Anthropology

    Earlier dates for Neandertal extinction cause a fuss

    Revised dates suggest Neandertals coexisted with modern humans for several thousand years in Europe before disappearing 40,000 years ago.

  7. Anthropology

    Origins of Egyptian mummy making may predate pyramids

    Preservative mixture for mummy wrapping found on linens that covered the dead as early as 6,300 years ago.

  8. Psychology

    Bilingual homes may give babies a learning lift

    Hearing two languages during the first six months of life linked to an early mental advantage.

  9. Anthropology

    Romanian cave holds some of the oldest human footprints

    A group of Homo sapiens left footprints about 36,500 years ago, not 15,000 as scientists had thought.

  10. Anthropology

    Clovis people may have hunted elephant-like prey, not just mammoths

    The ancient American Clovis culture started out hunting elephant-like animals well south of New World entry points, finds in Mexico suggest.

  11. Science & Society

    Main result of Facebook emotion study: less trust in Facebook

    Facebook’s controversial manipulation of emotional posts raises key questions about how to study online behavior.

  12. Psychology

    People will take pain over being left alone with their thoughts

    Evidence suggests that people dislike solitary thought so much that some prefer electric shocks.