Luca Mottola is the keynote speaker at ACM SENSYS 2021. The talk “On Science and Engineering in Embedded Sensing”, includes a discussion of security issues arising in the Internet of Things. The abstract argues: embedded sensing works at the interface between the digital domain and the physical world. Principles, theories, and abstractions find application in concrete systems deployed to interact with the surrounding environment. As a result, science and engineering intertwine in their design and implementation. In embedded sensing research, however, science is often contrasted with engineering. Works appear priding their contribution to either as if an inherent dichotomy existed. This talk is the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the mutual role of science and engineering in embedded sensing research. Through examples taken from recent works in areas such as intermittent computing, mobile drone computing, and nanosatellites, the speaker will posit that science and engineering in embedded sensing are not just complementary but a necessity for each other. He will then point out common pitfalls emerging when their mutual relationships are only partly understood. Increasing awareness of their interplay will hopefully be instrumental to ensuring the field can continue thriving and achieve long-term impact.