[esafak]

Why do people use python for anything beyond glue code? Because it took off, and machine learning and data science now rely on it.

I think Python is a terrible language that exemplifies the maxim "worse is better".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worse_is_better

[nottorp]

To quote from Eric Raymond's article about python, ages ago:

"My second [surprise] came a couple of hours into the project, when I noticed (allowing for pauses needed to look up new features in Programming Python) I was generating working code nearly as fast as I could type.

When you're writing working code nearly as fast as you can type and your misstep rate is near zero, it generally means you've achieved mastery of the language. But that didn't make sense, because it was still day one and I was regularly pausing to look up new language and library features!"

Source: https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/3882

It doesn't go for large code bases, but if you need quick results using existing well tested libraries, like in machine learning and data science, I think those statements are still valid.

Obviously not when you're multiprocessing, that is going to bite you in any language.

[rmbyrro]

Some speculate that universities adopted it as introductory language for its expressiveness and flat learning curve. Scientific / research projects in those unis started picking Python, since all students already knew it. And now we're here

[spprashant]

I have no idea if this is verifiably true in a broad sense, but I work at the university and this is definitely the case. PhD students are predominantly using Python to develop models across domains - transportation, finance, social sciences etc. They then transition to industry, continuing to use Python for prototyping.