[Edu-sig] Why Python?

[chris at seberino.org]

On Mon, Apr 12, 2010 at 09:30:50AM -0700, David MacQuigg wrote:
>> We consider pseudocode "self-explanatory" to those who already know
>> the syntax of a similar language. But it is not so, any more than
>> mousing and icons is "intuitive" for those who have never seen them.

That is emminently reasonable but I'm not sure it is true.  My children seemed
to pick up using a mouse without any instruction IIRC.  Geometry, motion & pictures seem
to tap a very primitive part of our brains...much deeper than the symbology of
algebra and pseudocode.  I wonder if there are methods of communication that
don't need much explanation because that is how are brains are naturally wired.

> It's interesting to speculate whether there
> will ever be another major improvement in programming, a step beyond
> Python, or if Python will simply incorporate any good ideas that come
> along (as it did with our @ syntax).  I would bet on the latter.

Well that is exciting for me as I know Python and don't want to learn a new
language every 3 months.

cs