Python, a popular programming language, has been used as an invaluable programming tool since 1991. Packages such as Jupyter, NumPy, MatPlotLib and Pandas enhance the uses of Python. For example, NumPy makes it easier to use matrices and write math equations in Python and do matrix operations. Although these packages are very useful, many  beginners haven’t been educated about which ones to use or what to do with them. Thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation EarthCube, the Project Pythia team aims to change that. 

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“It’s hard for the typical geoscientist to know whether these complex Python packages are compatible with one other, or what will happen to them in future updates, which version is the best, if the results can be trusted, and so on,” said John Clyne, principal investigator for Project Pythia. “Our goal aims to solve these problems and educate scientists more about the Python Ecosystem.”

As computer simulations are used to help society learn more about geosciences topics such as climate, weather and atmospheric chemistry, the ability to analyze large amounts of data is a skill that many scientists will need to know. Project Pythia solves this problem by providing educational content to scientists, so they can efficiently navigate their technological tools.