May 18, 2025 "Cutting Through the Matrix" with Alan Watt --- Redux (Educational Talk From the Past): "Lily Pad Experiment -- Hope, as We Face Planners Who Joke When We Croak"

Pope Leo XIII's encyclical "Rerum Novarum" is a landmark document in Catholic social teaching. Issued in 1891, it addressed the social and economic problems arising from the Industrial Revolution, particularly the plight of workers. The encyclical condemned both laissez-faire capitalism and socialism, advocating for a more just and humane economic system. It affirmed the dignity of labor, the right of workers to form unions, and the role of the state in protecting workers' rights. Rerum Novarum established key principles of Catholic social thought, including the importance of subsidiarity, the common good, and the dignity of the human person. It remains a foundational text for Catholic social teaching and continues to inspire efforts to promote social justice and economic fairness.

Wernher von Braun's "Project Mars" is a science fiction novel that details a future mission to colonize Mars. The book presents a detailed technical plan for a manned mission to the red planet, including spacecraft design, mission logistics, and the challenges of establishing a human settlement on Mars. Von Braun's expertise in rocketry and space exploration is evident in the book's realistic portrayal of space travel. The novel explores themes of human ambition, technological advancement, and the possibilities of interplanetary exploration. It remains a significant work in the history of space fiction.