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. Psychology

    Confusion lingers over health-related pros and cons of marijuana

    50 years ago, the effects of chronic marijuana smoking on mental health were hazy. They still are.

  2. Anthropology

    Skeleton ignites debate over whether women were Viking warriors

    Scientists spar over a 10th century woman who may have had serious fight in her.

  3. Psychology

    Science can’t forecast love

    Scientists’ forecast for romantic matches is unpredictable.

  4. Archaeology

    People may have lived in Brazil more than 20,000 years ago

    Stone Age humans left behind clues of their presence at a remote Brazilian rock shelter.

  5. Archaeology

    People may have lived in Brazil more than 20,000 years ago

    Stone Age humans left behind clues of their presence at a remote Brazilian rock shelter.

  6. Anthropology

    Spiritual convictions and group identities inspire terrorist acts, study finds

    Sacred values and becoming one with comrades fuels terrorist acts, a report finds.

  7. Anthropology

    Fiery re-creations show how Neandertals could have easily made tar

    Neandertals could have made tar with simple methods and materials on hand, new experiments show.

  8. Anthropology

    Nitty-gritty of Homo naledi’s diet revealed in its teeth

    Ancient humanlike species ate something that damaged its teeth.

  9. Anthropology

    Some secrets of China’s terra-cotta army are baked in the clay

    Specialized production system lay behind the famous terra-cotta troops found in ancient Chinese emperor’s tomb.

  10. Anthropology

    Ancient people arrived in Sumatra’s rainforests more than 60,000 years ago

    Humans reached Indonesia not long after leaving Africa.

  11. Anthropology

    Infant ape’s tiny skull could have a big impact on ape evolution

    Fossil comes from a lineage that had ties to the ancestor of modern apes and humans, researchers argue.

  12. Psychology

    A look at Rwanda’s genocide helps explain why ordinary people kill their neighbors

    New research on the 1994 Rwanda genocide overturns assumptions about why people participate in genocide. A sense of duty, not blind obedience, drives many perpetrators.