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. Archaeology

    These South American cave paintings reveal a surprisingly old tradition

    Radiocarbon dates point to an artistic design practice that began in Patagonia almost 8,200 years ago, several millennia earlier than previously recorded.

  2. Archaeology

    A four-holed piece of ivory provides a glimpse into ancient rope-making

    The tool, unearthed in Central Europe, suggests that locals made devices for stringing together sturdy cords over 35,000 years ago, researchers say.

  3. Climate

    Cold, dry snaps accompanied three plagues that struck the Roman Empire

    New climate data for ancient Italy point to temperature and rainfall influences on past infectious disease outbreaks.

  4. Genetics

    How ancient herders rewrote northern Europeans’ genetic story

    New DNA analyses show the extent of the Yamnaya people’s genetic reach starting 5,000 years ago and how it made descendants prone to diseases like MS.

  5. Anthropology

    Spanish horses joined Indigenous South Americans’ societies long before Europeans came to stay

    By the early 1600s, hunter-gatherers at the continent’s southern tip adopted horses left behind by colonial newcomers, new finds suggest.

  6. Archaeology

    Ancient Maya power brokers lived in neighborhoods, not just palaces

    Lidar discoveries and recent excavations are forcing archaeologists to rethink ancient Maya political structures.

  7. Archaeology

    A mysterious ancient grave with a sword and mirror belonged to a woman

    The items hint that she fought in or helped plan raids and defensive actions in what’s now southwestern England about 2,000 years ago, scientists speculate.

  8. Anthropology

    Surprisingly long-lived wild female chimps go through menopause

    Chimpanzees in Uganda are the first known example of wild, nonhuman primates experiencing the hormonal changes, raising questions about how menopause evolved.

  9. Archaeology

    Neandertals hunted cave lions at least 48,000 years ago

    A new study reports the first direct evidence of Neandertals slaying the big cats, and the earliest evidence of any hominids killing a large predator.

  10. Anthropology

    Extreme cold may have nearly wiped out human ancestors 900,000 years ago

    Ancestral populations had rebounded by about 800,000 years ago, heralding the evolution of people today, a contested DNA analysis suggests.

  11. Archaeology

    Pre-Inca people stomped salutes to their thunder god on a special dance floor

    Excavation of a drumlike platform in the Andes turned up a structure seemingly designed to absorb shocks and emit resonant sounds when stomped upon.

  12. Archaeology

    A child’s ornate necklace highlights ancient farmers’ social complexity

    The intricate necklace, reconstructed by researchers, was found on the remains of a child buried about 9,000 years ago in a Middle Eastern village.