All these Ruby vs Python type posts are pointless, in my opinion, because they all overlook the same thing: Whilst the languages are similar and fit almost the

All these Ruby vs Python type posts are pointless, in my opinion, because they all overlook the same thing: Whilst the languages are similar and fit almost the same problem domain, the philosophies behind them are almost opposite. People end up using the one that fits the way they think, because the language feels more intuitive/natural to you when it works the way your brain does. If you like order, knowing exactly what's going on and knowing you're doing things the right way, you'll find yourself using Python. I think this is why it's gained such traction in the scientific community. If you're happy with chaos, like to bend the rules and probably like to draw, you'll fall for Ruby. It's not a zero sum game people. You can praise the things you like without having to deride the alternatives.