Palantir

Palantir refers to a fictional seeing stone from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. In the context of Tolkien's works, particularly "The Lord of the Rings," a palantir is a crystal ball-like artifact that allows users to see far-off places and communicate with one another across great distances. The palantiri were created by the Elves of Valinor and later used by various characters within the stories, notably the kings of Gondor and Sauron. Each palantir has its own capabilities and limitations, influencing how and what users can see. The use of a palantir often carries significant risks, as users may become susceptible to manipulation or misinformation, particularly when dealing with powerful beings like Sauron. The term has since been used metaphorically in modern contexts to denote surveillance or insight-gathering technologies.