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. Science & Society

    ‘After 1177 B.C.’ describes how societies fared when the Bronze Age ended

    Archaeologist Eric H. Cline’s new book reconstructs ancient examples of societal resilience and fragility that have modern-day relevance.

  2. Anthropology

    Child sacrifices at famed Maya site were all boys, many closely related

    DNA analysis shows victims in one underground chamber at Chichén Itzá included twins, perhaps representing mythological figures.

  3. Anthropology

    Fossil finds amplify Europe’s status as a hotbed of great ape evolution

    A kneecap and two teeth belonged to the smallest known great ape, a study contends. If so, it’s the first to coexist with another great ape in Europe.

  4. Archaeology

    One of the world’s earliest farming villages housed surprisingly few people

    Hundreds, not thousands, occupied the Turkish site of Çatalhöyük nearly 9,000 years ago, undermining arguments for a Neolithic social revolution.

  5. Archaeology

    A puzzling mix of artifacts raises questions about Homo sapiens' travels to China

    A reexamined Chinese site points to a cultural mix of Homo sapiens with Neandertals or Denisovans.

  6. How Ötzi the Iceman really got his tattoos

    Modern tattooing experiments challenge a popular idea about how the roughly 5,200-year-old mummified man got marked with dark lines.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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.