Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed

In July’s roundup of lesser-known scientific stories, a variety of intriguing findings were highlighted. One such discovery involved the creation of a tiny diving suit for cyborg cockroaches, enabling them to navigate flooded terrain. Another discovery confirmed the cause of death for a Medici duke, revealing he died from malaria, not poisoning as initially thought.

Additionally, evidence provided the strongest indication yet that the red supergiant Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion is orbited by a companion star. In another development, researchers reexamined the remains of an Incan sacrificial victim and concluded the child had died from blunt force trauma, rather than freezing as previously believed.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, sheds new light on the cruel human sacrifice ritual known as Capachoca, which involved offering children to the mountains as divine intermediaries with the gods.