Python got adopted by academics around ‘10, because it had lower barriers for new programmers than Java (now legacy) and C (now a specialization). The language

Python got adopted by academics around ‘10, because it had lower barriers for new programmers than Java (now legacy) and C (now a specialization). The language and tooling options of today mean that the initial reasons for academia embracing Python are long gone. Python now presents more barriers to new programmers than alternatives. I agree. It’s a shame that the machine learning community has married itself to Python, since it gives Python a staying force that it doesn’t really merit.