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. Humans

    Ancient New Guinea settlers headed for the hills

    Humans had reached the rugged land by sea and quickly adapted to the mile-high forested interior by nearly 50,000 years ago, stone tools and plant remains indicate.

  2. Animals

    Monkey in the mirror

    Monkeys with implanted head devices use mirrors to inspect themselves, perhaps signaling self-awareness.

  3. Humans

    Neandertals blasted out of existence, archaeologists propose

    An eruption may have wiped out Neandertals in Europe and western Asia, clearing the region for Stone Age Homo sapiens.

  4. Humans

    Clues to child sacrifices found in Inca building

    Children killed in elaborate rituals were drawn from all over the South American empire, new research suggests.

  5. Psychology

    Why cell phone talkers are annoys-makers

    Overhearing half of a conversation is so aggravating at least in part because it inordinately distracts a listener from tasks at hand.

  6. Psychology

    Video mayhem enlivens decision making

    People who play action-oriented video games show improved ability to make quick decisions based on what they see and hear.

  7. Humans

    DVDs don’t turn toddlers into vocabulary Einsteins

    Young children don’t learn words from a popular educational program, but some of their parents think they do.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Alzheimer’s trade-off for mentally active seniors

    Staying mentally active may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease but may also prompt rapid cognitive decline once symptoms appear.

  9. Archaeology

    Big eats from a 12,000-year-old burial

    Middle Eastern villagers may have feasted around a shaman’s grave 12,000 years ago, before the dawn of agriculture.

  10. Anthropology

    Prehistoric ‘Iceman’ gets ceremonial twist

    Rather than dying alone high in the Alps, Ötzi may have been ritually buried there, a new study suggests.

  11. Humans

    Most prisoners come from few neighborhoods

    As overall crime rates declined in the United States, certain poor communities fueled a dramatic rise in incarceration rates.

  12. Humans

    Retirement at 62 boosts well-being

    People who retire on the early side tend to feel better physically and emotionally than those who quit working earlier or later.