Bruce Bower

Behavioral Sciences Writer, Science News

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. Archaeology

    This prehistoric woman from Peru hunted big game

    Women in the Americas speared large prey as early as 9,000 years ago, new archaeological evidence suggests.

  2. Archaeology

    Stonehenge enhanced voices and music within the stone ring

    Scientists built a 'Stonehenge Lego' model in a sound chamber to study how sound would have behaved in the ancient stone circle.

  3. Archaeology

    This cave hosted the oldest known human remains in Europe

    Bone fragments, tools and other finds in Bulgaria suggest that Homo sapiens moved rapidly into Eurasia as early as 46,000 years ago.

  4. Humans

    Skeletons hint that ancient societies had women warriors

    Some women in North American hunter-gatherer societies and Mongolian herding groups may have been warriors.

  5. Archaeology

    Ancient Egyptian mummy tattoos come to light

    A range of markings discovered on female mummies are challenging ideas about tattoo traditions in ancient Egypt.

  6. Humans

    DNA reveals clues to the Siberian ancestors of the first Americans

    Researchers discovered a previously unknown population of Ice Age people who crossed the Asia-North America land bridge.

  7. Archaeology

    Fossils from a Philippine cave may come from a new human-like species

    Ancient fossils from a Philippine cave may come from a new human-like species, which scientists have dubbed Homo luzonensis.

  8. Fossils

    A skeleton named ‘Little Foot’ causes big debate

    New studies suggest a fossil hominid called Little Foot belongs to the species Australopithecus prometheus. Other scientists question whether such a species exists.

  9. Archaeology

    Fossils hint ancient humans passed through a green Arabia

    Hundreds of thousands of years ago, migrating humans passed through the Arabian Peninsula, a study shows. Instead of desert, they found green grass.

  10. Archaeology

    Ancient child’s ‘vampire burial’ suggests Romans feared the walking dead

    A 10-year-old skeleton in a Roman cemetery had a stone placed in its mouth. It was to prevent this child from rising from the dead, a study reports.

  11. Archaeology

    Cremated remains hint at who was buried at Stonehenge

    A chemical analysis shows that people carried bodies from far away to be buried at the mysterious ancient monument known as Stonehenge.

  12. Archaeology

    Putting hats on Easter Island statues may have required some rock and roll

    Fitting huge stone hats on 3-story-high Easter Island statues may have required only a small workforce armed with ropes and ramps.