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. Birth of the beat

    Music’s roots may lie in melodic exchanges between mothers and babies.

  2. Songs from the Stone Age

    No one knows for sure whether music played a key role in human evolution or came about as a kind of ear candy. But there are several scientifically inspired proposals for the origins of music, some included below. Da ya think I’m sexy?  Charles Darwin, an avid music fan, suggested in 1871 that humans’ tunes […]

  3. Paleontology

    Oldest dog debated

    A fossil jaw may, or may not, come from the oldest known example of man’s best friend.

  4. Psychology

    DNA variant may make heavy boozing a team sport

    People who inherit a particular gene variant may find it more appealing to drink a lot of alcohol when they see others doing so.

  5. Paleontology

    Apes and Old World monkeys may have split later than thought

    A 29- to 28-million-year-old primate fossil found in Saudi Arabia assists scientists in timing a major evolutionary transition.

  6. Psychology

    Ancient hominids grabbed early northern exposure

    Newly recovered stone tools indicate that hominids lived in chilly northwestern Europe more than 800,000 years ago.

  7. Humans

    Botox injections put a crease in emotional evaluations

    By immobilizing a muscle needed for frowning, Botox injections may interfere with a person’s ability to assess others’ emotions.

  8. Life

    Having BFFs brings longevity to female baboons

    A seven-year study of one African troop finds that females live longer if they form close, lasting friendships.

  9. Archaeology

    Serbian site may have hosted first copper makers

    Newly identified remnants of copper smelting at a 7,000-year-old Serbian site fuel debate over where and when this practice began.

  10. Psychology

    Social judgments take touching turns

    New evidence suggests that the sense of touch influences people’s willingness to drive a hard bargain or endorse a job candidate.

  11. Anthropology

    Lucy fossil gets jolted upright by Big Man

    Scientists have unearthed a 3.6-million-year-old partial hominid skeleton that may recast the iconic species as humanlike walkers.

  12. Humans

    For sight-reading music, practice doesn’t make perfect

    Individual memory differences may set upper limits on pianists’ sight-reading skill, regardless of their experience.