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

[Michael Hudson]

Carl Banks <imbosol at vt.edu> writes:

> Dennis Lee Bieber wrote:
> >        As I recall, they also derive from the hardware that LISP was first 
> > implemented on -- C)ontents A)ddress R)egister, and C)ontents D)ata 
> > R)egister (or some variation thereof). Something to the effect that the 
> > original machine storage unit (words) effectively held two pointers, 
> > accessed as address and data...
> 
> 
> Which is kind of funny.  You'd expect the Data Register to point to
> the nth item in the list, and Address Register to point to the next
> cons cell.  But the reverse is true.

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...

Cheers,
M.

-- 
40. There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third
    one works.
  -- Alan Perlis, http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/perlis-alan/quotes.html