Python: The World’s Favorite Language…

“Python is too slow. Real engineers use C++.”
— Every gatekeeping dev from 2005 😏

February 18th, 2021. A moment frozen in tech and space history. NASA’s Perseverance rover crashes through the thin Martian atmosphere at 13,000 mph (that’s not a typo 😳) and touches down on Jezero Crater — a site that might hold clues to ancient alien life. The cameras roll. The world watches. Everyone expects rocket-science-level code written in C++ or at least some spicy Java…

Nope. It’s Python.

Yes, that “slow scripting language” they told you never to use for serious projects. 🤷‍♂️

🧠 Python: The Nerdy Side Project That Said “Screw It, I’ll Change the World”

Let’s rewind. Late 1980s. The Netherlands. Dutch programmer Guido van Rossum, chilling during his holidays, decides to build a better scripting language.
Not for fame.
Not for billion-dollar startups.
Just… because he could.

He names it Python, not because of the snake, but after the British comedy group Monty Python’s Flying Circus 🐍🎪. Yes, Python was born with jokes in its DNA. But behind the comedy was a serious vision:

🧘‍♂️ Make code readable. Make it clean. Make it human.

And just like that, Python became the people’s language.

🚫 “Too Simple”, “Too Slow”, “Too Indented”… Blah Blah Blah

Of course, the tech elite wasn’t impressed. “Indentation instead of curly braces? Sacrilege!” 😡 “It’s just a toy!” they said.

But Python quietly kept growing. It didn’t scream. It didn’t flex. It just worked.

And guess what? That readability became its secret weapon.
In a world of chaotic Perl and verbose Java, Python felt like a breath of fresh air. Developers who wanted to get stuff done flocked to it.

And then… 💥

🦾 Enter NASA. Enter Google. Enter World Domination.

While everyone was busy debating tabs vs spaces, Python was already being used by NASA to analyze Martian terrain and run robotic arms on another planet. No big deal. 🚀

Then came Google in the 2000s.
Their internal mantra?

“Python where we can, C++ where we must.”
(Translation: Use Python until you absolutely can’t.)

They even hired Guido himself in 2005. Boom. Instant credibility.

Meanwhile, Django and Flask turned Python into a web dev darling. Then came the data revolution.

📊 From Martian Dust to Machine Learning Gold

Python exploded in data science. NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch… the works.
Even hardcore R users started cheating with Python on weekends. 😏

Want to train a neural network? Python.
Want to automate your Excel reports? Python.
Want to run a robot on Mars? Python.

Suddenly, Python wasn’t just a language. It was the interface of the future.

😵 But Then… Python Nearly Destroyed Itself

Ah yes, Python 2 vs Python 3. The great civil war.

The upgrade was not backward compatible. It split the community, broke libraries, and created confusion for nearly a decade. Devs were screaming, “Why did you do this to us, Guido?!”

Eventually, Python 2 was retired (RIP, 2020), but the damage left a mark. Guido, exhausted by years of community drama, stepped down in 2018.

Yep. Python’s benevolent dictator said, “I’m out.” 👋

🔥 Python vs The World (Again)

In its 30s now, Python isn’t the shiny new kid anymore. It’s battling upstarts like:

• Julia (better at math, worse at… basically everything else).
• Rust (faster, but good luck understanding the borrow checker 🙃).
• Mojo (Python-ish syntax with C++ speed — still kinda beta).

People complain about the GIL (Global Interpreter Lock), about multi-threading, about performance…

And yet, Python is still everywhere.

🎬 From AI to Excel to Baby Yoda

Python runs visual effects in The Mandalorian, automates spreadsheets, and teaches millions how to code via Hour of Code.
Kids write Python. Scientists write Python. Hackers write Python. Bankers write Python.

Your startup’s backend? Probably Python.
Your professor’s latest ML model? Definitely Python.
That Mars rover? Yep, still Python.

💡 Python’s Real Superpower? It Made Programming… Human.

Guido didn’t build the fastest language. He built the most approachable.
Python didn’t try to be cool — it accidentally became cool.

While other languages argued over semicolons, Python said:
“Let’s just solve the problem.”

🐍 Final Thoughts: Python Might Be Slow, But It’s Inevitable

Sure, it’s not perfect. It’s not the fastest. It has quirks.
But Python made coding accessible, fun, and even a little poetic.

It didn’t just write code. It wrote stories. It built dreams. It literally touched the stars. 🌌

So next time someone laughs at Python’s indentation or calls it “just a scripting language,” remind them:

That scripting language is currently operating a rover on another planet. 👽

❤️‍🔥 Long live the snake. Long live Python.

💬 What do YOU think?

Are you team Python, or are you still stuck in semicolon land?
Drop your thoughts (and rants) in the comments. Let’s debate like it’s 1999. 🔥