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

    Modern chimp brains share similarities with ancient hominids

    MRIs suggest certain brain folding patterns don’t mark ancient humanlike neural advances after all, raising questions about hominid brain evolution.

  2. Science & Society

    Why science still can’t pinpoint a mass shooter in the making

    Arguments flare over mass public shootings that remain scientifically mysterious.

  3. Anthropology

    Ancient climate shifts may have sparked human ingenuity and networking

    Stone tools signal rise of social networking by 320,000 years ago in East Africa, researchers argue.

  4. Anthropology

    Museum mummies sport world’s oldest tattoo drawings

    A wild bull and symbolic designs were imprinted on the bodies of two Egyptians at least 5,000 years ago.

  5. Anthropology

    Humans don’t get enough sleep. Just ask other primates.

    Short, REM-heavy sleep bouts separate humans from other primates, scientists find. Sleeping on the ground may have a lot to do with it.

  6. Archaeology

    Cave art suggests Neandertals were ancient humans’ mental equals

    Ancient humans’ close relatives also created rock art and shell ornaments, studies assert.

  7. Anthropology

    In Borneo, hunting emerges as a key threat to endangered orangutans

    Only small numbers of Bornean orangutans will survive coming decades, researchers say.

  8. Anthropology

    Elongated heads were a mark of elite status in an ancient Peruvian society

    Elites in ancient Peruvian society developed a signature, stretched-out head shape over several centuries.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Let your kids help you, and other parenting tips from traditional societies

    Hunter-gatherers and villagers have some parenting tips for modern moms and dads.

  10. Psychology

    When it’s playtime, many kids prefer reality over fantasy

    Given a choice between fantasy play and doing the things that adults do, children prefer reality-based tasks, studies suggest.

  11. Anthropology

    Ancient kids’ toys have been hiding in the archaeological record

    Some unusual finds from thousands of years ago are actually toys and children’s attempts at mimicking adult craftwork.

  12. Archaeology

    Sharp stones found in India signal surprisingly early toolmaking advances

    Toolmaking revolution reached what’s now India before Homo sapiens did, a new study suggests.