Amir Hirsa, a professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has developed a device that could yield valuable insights about the fluid mechanics at play in diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Such an understanding could lead to better treatment or prevention strategies for these diseases. The only hitch is that, in order for the device to work, it requires a zero-gravity environment.