Despite being historically popular, the use of Python in GNOME has been declining over the last few years. In contrast, the PyGObject bindings are extremely capable, and the popularity of Python in scientific and engineering fields has been growing.

In this talk I will highlight some of the strengths of python including

• Its integration with existing best-of-class frameworks (Robot Operating System, OpenCV, Machine learning/scikit-learn)
• Many options for integrating with native code
• The IPython web notebook development environment and the use of Python as a teaching tool

I intend to propose that through embracing python, and with a few small changes of strategy, that the GNOME platform could be a valuable member of the scientific ecosystem.

John Stowers

I’m a Postdoc researcher at the TU Wien and the Institute of Molecular Pathology. Using virtual reality and real-time control systems, I study how insects see and navigate their environment in order to understand how image motion is understood in the brain.

I also maintain gnome-tweak-tool in my spare time.