https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTaItAV0aS4&t=975s
Open-source Node.js platform and the rise of IOT. Hardware is inherently asynchronous. It's still a UI. The time between a button press and an action can be long. JS has a low barrier to entry because the web as a platform has a low barrier to entry. A diverse community means more innovation.
Johnny-Five is the jQuery of hardware in a good way. Provides a uniform interface to talk to different types of hardware.