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

    Ancient Maya king shows his foreign roots

    Copán’s first king may have been part of a colonial expansion by another, distant Maya kingdom.

  2. Psychology

    Depression medication may offer mood lift via personality shift

    A new study suggests that commonly used antidepressants may work after first altering personality traits.

  3. Anthropology

    Contested signs of mass cannibalism

    A new study yields controversial evidence of mass cannibalism in central Europe 7,000 years ago.

  4. Humans

    A timely touch transforms speech perception

    New research indicates that what people hear others saying depends on their skin, not just their ears.

  5. Humans

    Visual illusion stumps adults but not kids

    Finding suggests that sensitivity to visual context develops slowly.

  6. Anthropology

    For Hadza, build and brawn don’t matter for choosing mates

    Study of hunter-gatherer community in Tanzania shows that, across human groups, mating criteria vary.

  7. Anthropology

    Macaws bred far from tropics during pre-Columbian times

    Colorful birds possibly raised for ceremonial and trade purposes long before Spanish arrival

  8. Aping the Stone Age

    Chimp chasers join artifact extractors to probe the roots of stone tools.

  9. Humans

    Newborn babies may cry in their mother tongues

    Days after birth, French and German infants wail to the melodic structure of their languages.

  10. Humans

    A health-care communication revolution

    Discussing how physicians and patients can cure their misunderstandings of medical statistics.

  11. Life

    Fossil find sparks debate on primate origins

    A 37-million-year-old jaw suggests the famous fossil Darwinius does not, as had been suggested, fill a gap in human evolution.

  12. Psychology

    Mental disorders don’t hinder headache treatment

    Headache patients may benefit from drug treatment even if they also suffer from depression or anxiety.