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. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. Psychology

    Tablet devices help kids with autism speak up

    Talking iPads may help break the near-silence of some kids with autism.

  9. Psychology

    Online causes may attract more clicks than commitments

    Online awareness campaigns can make people feel they’ve contributed to a good cause, but social scientists say the tangible benefits of such efforts may be small.

  10. Psychology

    Just four questions can identify which ER patients need prompt care

    A simple decision tree may find serious ailments in ER patients’ fuzzy complaints.

  11. Psychology

    Children negotiate taking turns surprisingly early in life

    Five-year-olds can coordinate decisions with others in a fair way, even when each child has conflicting interests.

  12. Psychology

    Stereotypes might make ‘female’ hurricanes deadlier

    Precautions may get shelved by those in the path of severe storms with feminine names, leading some to suggest that storms should be named after animals.