[shakna]

> Then maybe the Python crowd wouldn't need to call out to C code whenever they needed to do some number crunching.

Numpy and Scipy use a lot of Fortran at the backend, and unfortunately, beating Fortran when it comes to number crunching is insanely difficult, not just because of the language, but because those libraries like LAPACK have spent decades being refined into incredibly fast and accurate systems.

Python's ability to talk to those libraries is a bonus. But Python itself could never compete directly with them. Pure-python code isn't capable of some of the insane speed those libraries can pull off.

[whatshisface]

>because those libraries like LAPACK have spent decades being refined into incredibly fast and accurate systems.

In addition, due to their use in benchmarks, x86 has in part been designed to make LAPACK fast.