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From 66 million-year-old dinosaur “mummies” to bees that can tell time—and even the hidden psychology in rock-paper-scissors, Joe Johnson breaks down the latest discoveries that are as fascinating as they are weird in this week's Science Stories segment.

Dinosaur “Mummies” and the First Hooves

Around 66 million years ago, a small herd of Montasaurus ankylosaurus died in a drought—then were ironically buried in a flood. The result? Fossilized “mummies” that preserved detailed impressions of their skin.

Johnson explains, “They died of a drought, but then they were buried in a flood. Now this preserved an impression of the skin as it lay draped on their bones.”

Recent scans of a 20-foot juvenile and a 40-foot adult revealed something astonishing: the rear feet had three large toes, each capped with a hoof, while the front feet had a single central hoof. “This is the first hoof ever known on a reptile,” Johnson notes. “They beat the ungulates—the modern hoofed animals we know—by a couple of million years.”

It’s a classic case of convergent evolution. “Both the horse and these duck-billed dinosaurs were herbivores that had to run to avoid predators,” Johnson says. “It kind of makes sense that they would evolve the same structure.”

Bumblebees That Can Tell Time

In London, scientists trained buff-tailed bumblebees to associate the length of a light flash with a reward. Johnson highlights the finding: “They very quickly learned that the longer flash indicated that it was the good stuff for them. Some of the flashes were as short as a half a second.”

Why would bees need this skill? “Perhaps it evolved for different purposes such as keeping track of movement in space or communication,” Johnson says, showing how even tiny brains can reveal surprising abilities.

The Hidden Strategy of Rock-Paper-Scissors

Even simple games have secrets. In a study of 62 participants playing rock-paper-scissors, researchers found that humans struggle to be truly random. “Winners will tend to repeat their winning choice… Losers tend to change their choice,” Johnson explains. “So if you play paper and the other person plays scissors, next round you should play rock or scissors because they’re probably going to play scissors again.”

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler and New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced in October the largest Medicaid fraud scheme ever prosecuted by the Orange County DA’s office, allegedly stealing $2.9 million in Medicaid funds.

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler who shared more about the investigation and what residents should know to keep themselves protected from fraud.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is under fire from environmental advocates and progressive Democrats after her administration postponed a landmark law that would ban natural gas in most newly constructed buildings. The All-Electric Buildings Act was set to take effect January 1.

Hochul’s office says the move is merely an extension and that she remains committed to the law. But critics say the delay signals a retreat from major climate goals — and arrives alongside other decisions that have frustrated environmentalists. The administration recently approved a natural gas pipeline that had long been stalled, and it green-lit a power plant in the Finger Lakes that is prepared to operate for crypto-mining.

Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who is challenging Hochul in the Democratic primary, has emerged as one of the sharpest critics, calling the actions “a shame” and accusing the governor of backtracking on climate commitments.

Lisa Marshall, advocacy and organizing director at New Yorkers for Clean Power and a leader of the Renewable Heat Now campaign, said the delay undercuts years of climate progress.

“Well, you know how they say when you’re in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. That’s what the all-electric building act does,” Marshall said. “These are just better, healthier, safer buildings. It’s a win for everybody, and it’s an extreme disappointment to have Governor Hochul delaying this law today.”

Marshall argued Hochul is wavering on climate commitments. “She really seems to be going back and forth on these common-sense climate measures,” she said. “She is not doing this because she supports the law. She is doing this because she is not brave enough to stand by her own policies and bring the case to the people of New York.”

Marshall said the delay will allow developers to continue “building systems that are sort of like an anachronism in these brand-new buildings.”

“This is really giving an out to the corporate developers,” she said. “They should be state-of-the-art, safe, and healthy, and instead they’re going to be able to be hooked to the gas system for who knows how much longer.”

She also emphasized the health stakes, noting high rates of asthma and heart disease linked to fossil-fuel combustion in homes. “If you have the gas stove and a gas furnace, it’s like a tailpipe in your kitchen,” she said. “You’re breathing nitrogen oxides and particulates that are not healthy and not safe.”

Marshall disputed claims that electrifying new buildings would overwhelm the grid. “That is completely false,” she said. “The all-electric building law has an exemption. And we have plenty of headroom in the winter. There’s just not that many new buildings being built in New York.”

She said cost concerns are also exaggerated. “It’s another scare tactic,” Marshall said. “We have several studies showing the costs are better if you build all-electric.”

Marshall said advocates are now pressing Hochul to sign another major climate measure — the repeal of the state’s “100-foot rule,” which shifts the cost of new gas hookups onto all ratepayers. “The annual cost of hooking up buildings to the gas system was almost $600 million a year,” she said. “People have been noticing those bills going up and up.”

Thousands of Renewable Heat Now supporters plan to rally in December, she said, delivering postcards and urging Hochul to reverse course. “We have a very positive, forward-looking, joyful movement,” Marshall said. “We’re registering our very deep disappointment and sadness over the loss of what is really a common-sense, win-win law.”

This holiday season, you can deck the halls without decking the planet. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, in partnership with New York Sea Grant, is hosting “Plastic-Free Holidays” workshops that teach families how to swap single-use plastics for fun, reusable DIY decorations.

Anna Harrod McGrew, natural resources and environment educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension, said the workshops are part of a fall series raising awareness about microplastics and plastic waste.

“So our workshops are part of a larger webinar and workshop series we're trying to do this fall…we started in October with a microplastics webinar and a Halloween costume swap at the Kingston Farmers Market. Moving into Thanksgiving, our two other workshops that we have left are unfelted pumpkins and recycled gift tags,” she said.

The idea is simple: you don’t need to buy new every year. “There's things around your house that you can use to decorate. And then there's lots of natural materials, plastic-free materials that you can use or reuse to reduce your plastic,” Harrod McGrew said.

At the Thanksgiving workshop, participants make felted wool pumpkins using just a few pieces of wool, a felting needle, and a felting pad. “That could also be saved year after a year and doesn't contribute to our enormous amount of plastic waste going into our waste stream,” she said.

In December, DIY gift tags are the focus—made from leftover ribbon, buttons, and card stock. “We'll just have kind of a whole table full of supplies that are all assembled from what might have ended up in people's trash to make those gift tags,” Harrod McGrew said.

She encourages simple eco-friendly habits at home, too. “I love wrapping gifts with found materials…brown bags from the grocery store, decorating with dried flowers, dried oranges, fancy ribbons. If everybody focused on one thing—like, I'm not going to purchase wrapping paper this year—that can make a huge impact,” she said.

Workshops are free, open to ages 10 and up, and registration is available at ulster.cce.cornell.edu/events.

Garbanzo beans, potatoes, even laundry detergent are just some of the items at the new Calliope & Gael Grocers, a new free community food pantry on Main Street in Livingston Manor.

What makes it unique? It’s designed as your regular grocery store where people can choose what they want to throw in their grocery cart. Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar chatted with Gael Roots’ Iris Fen Gillingham in Livingston Manor about the future of the pantry and how people can help.

A Single Bite, the Sullivan County nonprofit focused on feeding families, says food insecurity has surged dramatically in recent months—even as federal SNAP benefits resume following the end of the government shutdown.

Executive Director Audrey Garrow said the organization has seen demand double since early fall.

“Since September, we were feeding 625 people, families out there in the community with prepared food,” Garrow said. “Today, 1,200 people. So that’s double.”

Garrow said some of the increase is due to heightened public awareness during the SNAP crisis, but the underlying need runs much deeper. “These individuals are not going to call us tomorrow and say, ‘I have my SNAP benefits back. I don’t want your healthy prepared food anymore,’” she said. “My kids are still getting enough nutrition. That’s just not going to happen.”

She noted that even families with restored benefits remain behind on basic expenses. “They’ve already spent their rent money on food or their medicine money on food because kids and people need to eat every day,” she said.

Sam Buniga, who delivers meals across the county, said those realities are clear on the ground.

“I have a family that’s been in temporary housing for quite a while,” he said. “The place has now been condemned… but she has a stove for the first time. She told me she hasn’t cooked a baked potato in years and she was so excited to have a potato and to have real food.”

A Single Bite provides prepared meals three days a week, delivered by volunteers from Long Eddy to Wurtsboro. Garrow said the ready-to-eat meals remain vital for families who lack time, transportation, kitchen facilities, or the ability to prepare bulk food from pantries.

“During COVID, we learned that families struggle with time, working two jobs,” she said. “Do they have enough energy to have a propane stove? Is their stove working? There are many, many families living in temporary housing in this community.”

Both Garrow and Buniga said the return of SNAP benefits has not eased the long-term fears families face.

“These are families that are living at or below the poverty level, period,” Garrow said. “Catching up is not possible with the resources they have.”

Buniga said many residents only sought help when the shutdown pushed them past their limits. “Maybe they were really fighting and said, ‘We got this,’” he said. “But then the shutdown—that was when they hit the wall.”

As the holidays approach, Garrow said A Single Bite will continue providing weekly shared meals, along with special Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes. But winter brings new challenges.

“We’ve received a lot of donated produce over the harvest time and that is going to subside,” she said. “We need to start purchasing fresh food… and make sure the highest-quality, most nutritious food ends up on people’s plates.”

Buniga said the public often doesn’t grasp the scale of need: “The rest of us are going to bed, our bellies are full, our kids’ bellies are full. And there’s people out there that every day their kids’ bellies are not full when they go to bed.”

Garrow encouraged residents to volunteer, donate, or simply learn more about the organization. “It’s not easy to ask for help,” she said. “And we respectfully provide that support every week.”

A Single Bite recently received a boost from Homestead School students, who grew pumpkins for their annual project. The pumpkins were turned into soup for families, and the students presented the nonprofit with a $3,000 check.

More information, volunteer opportunities, and donation links can be found at asinglebite.org. A full list of food pantries across the region is available at wjffradio.org.

The once dead Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project, a pipeline that would bring fracked gas from central Pennsylvania through New Jersey and into New York City, is now one more step towards revival. Last Friday, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation issued a Water Quality Certification Permit for the construction of the project, effectively reversing its legal position under the Federal Clean Water Act in 2019 and 2020.

While environmental advocates and legal experts are preparing to stop NESE again, they are also looking ahead to the inevitable revival of its companion project, the Constitution Pipeline that would run through Upstate New York.

Radio Catskill’s Genevieve Hartnett spoke with Mark Izeman, Senior Attorney for Environmental Health at the National Resources Defense Council and Board Member of Catskill Mountainkeeper about the increased federal pressure pushing these pipeline projects forward and how statewide opposition can stop them.

This weekend, audiences at NACL Theater will witness an intimate and deeply personal work-in-progress titled Mercedes: Para los Callejones, created by Brooklyn-based artist Modesto “Flako” Jimenez and the ¡Oye! Group. The play, performed primarily in Spanish with English supertitles, is both a tribute and a time capsule — inspired by the grandmother who raised Jimenez in Bushwick after he immigrated from the Dominican Republic.

Through letters, receipts, and other personal mementos, Jimenez uncovered his grandmother’s quiet but powerful legacy — a woman who helped countless Latino families survive and thrive in New York City while staying connected to loved ones back home.

As Jimenez cared for his grandmother during her battle with dementia, he began uncovering the story that would become Mercedes.

Those discoveries revealed a woman whose small acts of love and resourcefulness rippled across generations.

A Matriarch’s Spirit on Stage

Actor Zuleyma Guevara, who portrays Mercedes, said the character felt instantly familiar.

That quiet strength, Guevara said, runs deep in the immigrant experience.

One of the most poignant discoveries, Jimenez said, was finding a receipt his grandmother had kept for the cost of bringing the family to America — right down to the price of passport photos.

Language, Memory, and Healing

The play’s bilingual nature was a deliberate choice.

Over several years of development, Mercedes has grown into more than a play. Jimenez and his collaborators have hosted workshops at senior centers, worked with caregivers, and even developed a documentary and virtual reality experience tied to the project.

Mercedes: Para los Callejones will be presented this Saturday night at NACL Theater in Highland Lake, featuring English supertitles — and, fittingly, a warm bowl of soup after the show.

For more information, visit nacl.org.

Families in Sullivan County are facing a difficult choice: go to work or pay for child care. New York’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which helps eligible families cover daycare costs, has been paused in Sullivan and more than 30 other counties.

“CCAP is meant to help families pay for daycare,” said Isabelle Braverman, editor of the Sullivan County Democrat. “There are eligibility requirements such as your income levels. Based on that, you can receive a certain amount to help pay for the cost, sometimes even fully covered.”

The pause began July 1. Families already enrolled continue to receive funding, but new or renewed applications are on hold. Braverman said the program may not resume until January 2026 due to budget constraints.

Daycare providers report immediate impacts. At Twin Bridge Play School in Liberty, four children have left and several others moved to part-time care. “It’s really not sustainable for them as a daycare,” Braverman said. At Jessica’s Daycare in Monocello, owner Jessica Dean is advocating for more funding and plans to create a nonprofit scholarship fund to help families while CCAP remains paused.

Braverman noted potential short-term solutions, including returning to the former CCAP payment structure to free up funds for delayed applications. State officials say they are working to expand childcare access, but Sullivan County’s funding gap remains a challenge.

For more coverage, visit scdemocratonline.com

Seniors and Medicare beneficiaries have until December 7 to review or update their health coverage for 2026, but experts warn that scam calls are on the rise.

“As many people might know, right now, up until December 7th, we are in the Medicare annual enrollment period, which is when many people make their selections for what their health care is going to be for next year,” said Maria Alvarez, Executive Director of the New York Statewide Senior Action Council.

Even if your coverage seems fine, Alvarez urges a double-check. “People's health situations might change, the plan might have changed, the coverage might have changed, there might be other options. And so this is the time when most people are able to assess that situation,” she said.

Scammers often target seniors during this period. “Medicare, Social Security or the IRS, they will never call a person at their home...much less would they ever call and ask for a person's Medicare number because they already have that information,” Alvarez said.

If you get an unsolicited call claiming to be from Medicare, hang up immediately. “Never give out your Medicare number, your Social Security number, your bank or credit card numbers,” she said.

For help, seniors can call the New York State Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-333-4374, or 1-800-MEDICARE to report fraud or review benefits. Alvarez also reminds seniors: “You have until December 7th at midnight to make your decision. Don’t let anyone pressure you into choosing a plan today.”

Families and caregivers can protect loved ones by encouraging them to take their time and consult trusted sources before making any changes.

Key Takeaway: Never share sensitive information over the phone, and be wary of pressure tactics. Use available resources to make informed decisions about your Medicare coverage.