Why is Python popular, while Lisp and Scheme aren't?

[Michael Hudson]

Greg Ewing <see_reply_address at something.invalid> writes:

> Michael Hudson wrote:
> 
> > I think the d in cdr stands (stood) for decrement, not data.  But the
> > web seems confused on the issue.  It just means "second half of cons
> > cell" to me...
> 
> 
> I gather there were also two 3-bit fields interspringled
> with those, and Lisp originally had functions for accessing
> those, too...

I was surprised to find that my departments AMNAG (Applied Mathematics
and Numerical Analysis Group) library contains a copy of the Lisp 1.5
manual -- I could probably go and look these things up...

Cheers,
M.

-- 
  > Why are we talking about bricks and concrete in a lisp newsgroup?
  After long experiment it was found preferable to talking about why
  Lisp is slower than C++...
                        -- Duane Rettig & Tim Bradshaw, comp.lang.lisp