Python is a widely used, open source programming language and was designed to be readable with a simple and consistent syntax. Many scientific researchers use Python because it has a very extensive section of mathematical and scientific libraries. These libraries contain code that has already been written to perform specific tasks so you just need to know how to call the library rather than write the code itself. Lastly, Python is free and readily available to both PC and MAC users!

If you would like to learn more, check out these free online resources for novice programmers: http://education.molssi.org/resources.html#programming