In this episode of pplpod, we explore the invisible architecture that keeps the modern internet from collapsing into chaos through the groundbreaking work of computer scientist Radia Perlman. Often referred to as the “mother of the internet,” Perlman helped solve one of the most dangerous problems in early networking: how to allow massive interconnected systems to communicate reliably without creating catastrophic feedback loops that could crash entire networks. The episode traces her journey from an unconventional childhood shaped by music, mathematics, and literature to becoming one of the most influential network engineers in modern history. Along the way, it examines how her experience as one of the only women at MIT shaped both her career path and the way she approached technology itself.

The discussion breaks down Perlman’s creation o ...