All Stories by Bruce Bower
- Science & Society
Heal thy neighbor
As antidepressants and other drugs gradually replace psychotherapy in the United States, new forms of the talking cure are growing in popularity in developing countries ravaged by civil war and poverty.
- Archaeology
Early shrine unearthed at Nepal Buddhist site
Ritual structure could help pin down when the sage known as the Buddha lived in South Asia.
- Anthropology
Little Red Riding Hood gets an evolutionary makeover
A statistical analysis attempts to track the rise of several widespread folktales.
- Anthropology
Human ancestors threw stone-tipped spears at prey
African discoveries show that hunting weapons thrown from a distance appeared by 279,000 years ago.
- Humans
Bigger numbers, not better brains, smarten human cultures
An experiment using a computer game supports the idea that big populations drove the evolution of complex human cultures.
- Neuroscience
Brain enables sight without light
Sensory cross talk may underlie ability to see one’s own hand moving when it’s pitch black.
- Psychology
Groups recall travel details better than loners
Small teams of people can recite key information from public announcements better than any one person.
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- Anthropology
Fossil skull points to single root for human evolution
New find suggests that humankind’s origins trace to an ancient species that spread from Africa to Asia.
- Anthropology
Ancient farmers, foragers kept genes to themselves
Ancient DNA and diet clues suggest how farmers and hunter-gathers contributed to modern Europeans’ genetic profiles.
- Psychology
Reading high-brow literature may aid in reading minds
Think of it as the bookworm’s bonus: People who read first-rate fiction become more socially literate, at least briefly, a new study suggests.
- Anthropology
Ancient farming populations went boom, then bust
Agriculture’s introduction led to big falls as well as rises in numbers of Europeans.
