On: Why Python Is Slow: Looking Under the Hood

[scott_s]

Even if you're already familiar with all of the main reasons that answer the question (that is, you're already familiar with how a VM works), read the Just for fun: a few "never use these" hacks. I mean, wow. That's the kind of nastiness I normally associate with C's free-for-all memory model.

[slashnull → scott_s]

With the nuance that C forces you to deal with those never use these hacks in order to do anything non-trivial.

I can't see why anyone would go and mess with CPython's internals like that in production code. Other than for nefarious purposes, I guess.