Palantir

Palantir refers to a fictional seeing stone from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium, particularly featured in “The Lord of the Rings.” In the stories, a Palantir is a crystal sphere that allows its user to see far-off places and communicate with others who are using other Palantiri. However, the use of a Palantir can also lead to manipulation or deception, as users can be influenced by what they see or by the intentions of others using the stones. The term has come to symbolize surveillance, insight, and the dual-edged nature of knowledge and power. In a contemporary context, Palantir is also the name of a data analytics company known for its software platforms that assist organizations in making data-driven decisions.