thomas plötzeneder

Traveller and searcher

[Courtney Mares @catholicourtney]

No, this isn’t a Real Madrid match in Bernabéu stadium

It’s 80,000 Catholics with Pope Leo XIV

[The Obama Foundation @ObamaFoundation]

A place to learn, a place to play, and a place to belong.

President Obama and CEO of the Obama Foundation Valerie Jarrett recently marveled at our whimsical playground — full of oversized animal structures and world class play equipment — and reflected on how our on-site branch of the Chicago Public Library will appeal to kids of every age.

This is a place where every family is welcome, every child is safe, and every person is respected — a place for everyone.

[Jamie Metzl @JamieMetzl]

For nearly 2,000 years, papal encyclicals have helped humanity grapple with the defining moral challenges of each age: slavery, industrialization, war, inequality, human dignity, and the responsibilities that come with power.

Now Pope Leo XIV has turned that moral lens toward artificial intelligence.

His new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, is a call to ensure that our exponentially advancing technologies remain grounded in deeply human values.

Whether you are religious or secular, conservative or progressive, technologist or skeptic, this document deserves serious attention.

My new post:
https://t.co/vHoxuBWgaX

[NEXTA @nexta_tv]

Video from the Austrian pavilion at the Venice Biennale:

Artist Florentina Holzinger hangs upside down inside a giant bronze bell. She swings back and forth and literally “rings” the bell with her own body.

This is part of a large-scale installation about the climate apocalypse. The bell with a person inside symbolizes a warning about the coming flood.

The Biennale officially opens on May 9, 2026, but the performance has already begun.

[Acyn @Acyn]

A lot of jokes from King Charles tonight.

“You recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French”

[Reads with Ravi @readswithravi]

“It’s impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously you might as well not have lived at all.”

— J.K. Rowling

[James Martin, SJ @JamesMartinSJ]

Pope Leo XIV, Donald Trump and JD Vance. Fear not!

[PBS News @NewsHour]

The battle between the president and the pope continues to play out on the world stage, and some allies of President Trump are piling on to defend the war in Iran.

Pope Leo XIV has not backed down from his criticisms of the conflict either.

@IAmAmnaNawaz speaks to @JamesMartinSJ for more.

[Reuters @Reuters]

Pope Leo said the world needs to hear a message of peace and coexistence, after US President Donald Trump attacked the pontiff for a second time this week on social media https://t.co/poyRr46UPI

[Night Sky Today @NightSkyToday]

NASA's Curiosity rover has revealed what the night sky on Mars looks like, which is 225 million kilometers away.😍

[Chito & Bob @danthelions_]

“Please be careful not to use political categories to speak about faith, to speak about the Church. The Church doesn’t belong to any political party; rather, she helps form your conscience.”

[Tansu Yegen @TansuYegen]

In China, unauthorized drones are brought down quickly like this 🚁

[Acyn @Acyn]

BAIER: I wonder as a catholic how you consider this picture which a lot of people took as the president posting a picture of himself as Jesus?

VANCE: I think the president was posting a joke and, of course, he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren't understanding his humor in that case

[Black Hole @konstructivizm]

Artemis ll captures the clearest view of moon ever.

Beauty of moon.
Just look at those craters and detail.

[Surajit @surajit_ghosh2]

This might be the most detailed Moon image ever captured

1000 frames stacked using a Nikon Z8 and Takahashi TSA-120 telescope, producing a stunning 40MP masterpiece

[thomas plötzeneder @ploetzeneder]

@connectnz04 Whats the movie ?

[Dalai Lama @DalaiLama]

MESSAGE

I wholeheartedly endorse the powerful appeal for peace made by the Holy Father, Pope Leo, during his Palm Sunday Mass. His call for the laying down of arms and the renunciation of violence resonated profoundly with me, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach.

Indeed, whether we look to Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism or any of the world's great spiritual traditions, the message is fundamentally the same: love, compassion, tolerance, and self-discipline. Violence finds no true home in any of these teachings. History has shown us time and again that violence only begets more violence and is never a lasting foundation for peace.

An enduring resolution to conflict, including the ones we see in the Middle East or between Russia and Ukraine, must be rooted in dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect — approached with the understanding that, at the deepest level, we are all brothers and sisters.

I urge for and pray that the violence and conflicts may soon come to an end.

DALAI LAMA

31 March 2026

[Emoluments Clause @Emolclause]

#BREAKING: Psaki: “…who could have predicted that our allies might not want to rush into a war with #Iran? Who could have predicted that an all out war with Iran would dangerously deplete our nation’s munitions? Who could have predicted that Iran would shut down the Strait of Hormuz, and who could have predicted that Iran would respond with cyberattacks? The answer is ANYBODY with knowledge of the region…”😳

[Nick Gibb @NickGibbUK]

Yesterday in Vienna continued with a cosy coffee at the famous Zum Schwartza Kameel café, with policymakers: ⁦@SalcherAndreas⁩ (left), Thomas Plötzeneder (right). I’m flanked by Modul University’s Andreás Viszkievicz and @ProfessorStokes.