python variable is merely namei label that can be attached to an object,it will bring you clarity when the statements techs ['mit''caltech'ivys ['harvard''yale''brown'are executedthe interpreter creates two new lists and binds the appropriate variables to themas pictured below figure two lists the assignment statements univs [techsivysunivs [['mit''caltech']['harvard''yale''brown']also create new lists and bind variables to them the elements of these lists are themselves lists the three print statements print 'univs ='univs print 'univs ='univs print univs =univs produce the output univs [['mit''caltech']['harvard''yale''brown']univs [['mit''caltech']['harvard''yale''brown']true it appears as if univs and univs are bound to the same value but appearances can be deceiving as the following picture illustratesunivs and univs are bound to quite different values