If you're interested in high-performance scientific computing, then I guess you'll pleased to know that many use D for this domain, specifically for its high-performance and also high-level features that make prototyping as easy (if not easier) as in Python. In addition to good C/C++ interop, there are also libraries for interfacing with Python and R. Be sure to check http://blog.mir.dlang.io/, https://github.com/kaleidicassociates/lubeck, https://github.com/libmir, https://github.com/DlangScience and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edjrSDjkfko