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. Book Review: Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives by Annie Murphy Paul

    Review by Bruce Bower.

  2. Psychology

    Kids learn late to tackle data overload

    An information-thrifty tactic used by adults for making accurate judgments takes hold during the tween years.

  3. Psychology

    Getting to not know you

    Knowledge of a romantic partner’s likes and dislikes declines over decades, a study finds.

  4. Siblings of autistic children may share some symptoms

    Studies may need to account for a predisposition to autistic traits in undiagnosed members of families where the disorder occurs.

  5. Humans

    Ancient New Guinea settlers headed for the hills

    Humans had reached the rugged land by sea and quickly adapted to the mile-high forested interior by nearly 50,000 years ago, stone tools and plant remains indicate.

  6. Animals

    Monkey in the mirror

    Monkeys with implanted head devices use mirrors to inspect themselves, perhaps signaling self-awareness.

  7. Humans

    Neandertals blasted out of existence, archaeologists propose

    An eruption may have wiped out Neandertals in Europe and western Asia, clearing the region for Stone Age Homo sapiens.

  8. Humans

    Clues to child sacrifices found in Inca building

    Children killed in elaborate rituals were drawn from all over the South American empire, new research suggests.

  9. Psychology

    Why cell phone talkers are annoys-makers

    Overhearing half of a conversation is so aggravating at least in part because it inordinately distracts a listener from tasks at hand.

  10. Psychology

    Video mayhem enlivens decision making

    People who play action-oriented video games show improved ability to make quick decisions based on what they see and hear.

  11. Humans

    DVDs don’t turn toddlers into vocabulary Einsteins

    Young children don’t learn words from a popular educational program, but some of their parents think they do.

  12. Health & Medicine

    Alzheimer’s trade-off for mentally active seniors

    Staying mentally active may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease but may also prompt rapid cognitive decline once symptoms appear.