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

    ‘Java Man’ takes age to extremes

    New dating of Indonesian strata has produced unexpected results.

  2. Humans

    Gambling on experience

    Perceptions of risk can get pulled in opposite directions.

  3. Anthropology

    Partial skeletons may represent new hominid

    Partial skeletons may represent a new hominid species with implications for Homo origins, one researcher claims. But many of his peers disagree.

  4. Anthropology

    Inca cemetery holds brutal glimpses of Spanish violence

    Bones from a 500-year-old cemetery have yielded the first direct evidence of Inca death at Spaniards’ hands.

  5. Humans

    For a rare few, driving and cell phones go well together

    Some people do well at combining driving with cell phone use, raising questions about the nature of attention.

  6. Humans

    Ancient DNA suggests new hominid line

    Genetic data unveil a previously unknown Stone Age ancestor in central Asia.

  7. Anthropology

    Ancient footprints yield oldest signs of upright gait

    Human ancestors may have been walking with an efficient, extended-leg technique by 3.6 million years ago.

  8. Anthropology

    Farming’s rise cultivated fair deals

    A cross-cultural study suggests that the spread of farming unleashed a revolution in concepts of fairness and punishment.

  9. Psychology

    Soothing start to childhood weight problems

    Pacifying infants with food may raise likelihood of later obesity.

  10. Humans

    Babies see human hand behind ordered events

    Experiments find that infants attribute actions to people.

  11. Humans

    One key to teaching toddlers with TV: trickery

    Kids under 3 can learn from educational videos if they believe what they’re seeing is real.

  12. Psychology

    Researchers find early autism signs in some kids

    A long-term investigation raises the possibility of identifying 14-month-olds who will develop autism spectrum disorder almost two years later.