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. Humans

    Simple Heresy

    Rules of thumb challenge complex financial analyses 

  2. Psychology

    Eyes take gossip to heart

    Reading negative gossip about someone makes that person’s face easier to perceive.

  3. Humans

    Stone Age cold case baffles scientists

    Stone-tool makers who hunkered down near Arctic Circle left uncertain clues to their identity.

  4. Psychology

    Autism rates head up

    Disorders may affect more kids than previously thought, a study in South Korea suggests.

  5. Psychology

    Thinking better with depression

    Study suggests people with the mood disorder have an advantage when making certain decisions.

  6. Humans

    No nuts for you, Nutcracker Man

    Tooth analysis shows huge-jawed hominid grazed on grasses and sedges.

  7. Humans

    Most Neandertals were right-handers

    Right handedness, and perhaps spoken language, originated at least a half million years ago, a new study suggests.

  8. Psychology

    Why some gorillas go unseen

    Attention differences help to explain why some people don't notice surprising sights.

  9. Humans

    Possibly pivotal human ancestor debated

    An ancient species that may have sparked the rise of humankind gets a new appraisal.

  10. Life

    Gone fishing, orangutan-style

    Apes that catch fish in ponds and eat them raise the possibility that ancient hominids did the same.

  11. Humans

    Genetic roots of ‘orchid’ children

    Kids who inherit certain DNA variants may be most likely to wilt in bad circumstances and bloom in good ones.

  12. Humans

    Rising seas made China’s ancient mariners

    Ancient environmental changes produced a maritime culture that colonized Taiwan 5,000 years ago, archaeologists contend.