The Internet of Things promises subtle, pedestrian improvements to almost every aspect of daily life. The Nest Thermostat learns our habits, preferences, and environments in order to save money and improve comfort. Bluetooth and near field communication help our smartphones drive a “body area network” of activity trackers, smart shoes, and Google Glass, as well as interface with payment systems and the rest of the outside world. IoT devices will help us sleep better, save time and energy, ensure we never run out of coffee or toilet paper, and automate our lives.

But consumers will only be a small part of the Internet of Things. Further from home, the IoT promises smart electrical grids, drone-assisted agriculture, and a scale-out approach to research and analysis. As we fill our environment with smart devices we’ll learn more than we ever imagined about weather, ocean currents, commerce, traffic, and all the other chaotic systems that define our world. Ubiquitous computing will help us understand how all the moving parts fit together, how to adjust the machinery to fit our needs, and how to fix it parts we’ve broken.