<s>[INST] Is there a difference between `==` and `is` in Python? My Google-fu has failed me.
In Python, are the following two tests for equality equivalent (ha!)?
n = 5
# Test one.
if n == 5:
    print 'Yay!'

# Test two.
if n is 5:
    print 'Yay!'

Does this hold true for objects where you would be comparing instances (a list say)?
Okay, so this kind of answers my question:
L = []
L.append(1)
if L == [1]:
    print 'Yay!'
# Holds true, but...

if L is [1]:
    print 'Yay!'
# Doesn't.

So == tests value where is tests to see if they are the same object?
 [/INST] is will return True if two variables point to the same object, == if the objects referred to by the variables are equal.
>>> a = [1, 2, 3]
>>> b = a
>>> b is a 
True
>>> b == a
True
>>> b = a[:]
>>> b is a
False
>>> b == a
True

In your case, the second test only works because Python caches small integer objects, which is an implementation detail. For larger integers, this does not work:
>>> 1000 is 10**3
False
>>> 1000 == 10**3
True

The same holds true for string literals:
>>> "a" is "a"
True
>>> "aa" is "a" * 2
True
>>> x = "a"
>>> "aa" is x * 2
False
>>> "aa" is intern(x*2)
True

Please see this question as well.
 </s>