this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2025
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I’ve heard it’s from LOTR but I’m not very into that but want to understand what that foreshadows for this dystopian data grabbing nightmare company

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[–] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 42 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (4 children)

Simplified: It's a crystal ball that allows you to see through space. However, the target can also see you.

Think of it like one of those ~~crying~~ scrying (ducking autocorrect) balls from the Disney movies. Or a two-way-camera setup.

Can't wait for some terminally online dork with a python script to figure out that the god password for Palantir is "StudMuffin1234" and dump everything online, thus making the two-way aspect a reality...

EDIT: Just for the record, it's been over 30 years since I read the books. I may remember it incorrectly.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The palantirs were mainly used by the evil side during the time the books are set in. Specifically, Sauron (main bad guy) uses it to draw Saruman (former good guy turned bad) to his side.

[–] Lizardking13@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Only the LoTR books. In the earlier time periods they're very much a tool of the "good guys" to communicate.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I knew someone was going to write that.

[–] Lizardking13@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I couldn't help myself:p

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 13 points 1 day ago

Only thing missing is the two way allows for the corrupting and controlling influence. Sauruman basically became the way he did by using them to much and he is from a class of beings that are about as resistant to the effects as can be.

[–] MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

crying balls

Hopefully you mean scrying, a crystal ball that cries sounds dreadful.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Hah! Terry Pratchett could have run with that.

Granny Weatherwax: "What's wrong with your ball thingie? Looks leaky."

Magrat: "Oh! I got it from Boffo Novelty and Joke Shop (No. 4, Tenth Egg Street, Ankh-Morpork). It's supposed to be a top-of-the-line scrying ball!"

Weatherwax: "You got swindled you wet hen. That's a crying ball if I ever sees one."

Nanny Oog: "Now Granny, give young Magrat a break. Here honey, have a shot of this. Always puts me right on top of the world! And sometimes on the bottom, which is just as well."

Weatherwax: "I can't be havin' with you two. Goats need fed." (jump starts her crappy broom)

[–] Iapetus@slrpnk.net 7 points 1 day ago

This made me so happy to read.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

However, the target can also see you.

Not really...

If you knew what you were doing you could look anywhere

If you were a fool of a Took you just turned on a giant beacon that everyone who knew what they were doing and had their own immediately looked at.

Think of it like how some people "look for aliens" by beaming out a giant "hey, look at me! I don't know what I'm doing!" Signal to anyone who can hear.

That's what happened in LOTR. Then others used their own crystal balls to look at where the signal was and saw Pippen.

[–] LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Literally nothing you said was correct.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Well, thanks for the links!