问HN：Palantir和Anduril的创始人是否读过托尔金的作品？
《指环王》以其对工业化和技术侵入日常生活的强烈主题批判而闻名。托尔金将书中提到的遗物以及中土世界中的许多其他魔法物品（如帕兰提尔）描绘为邪恶、毁灭和环境破坏的工具。托尔金提到，他在快速工业化的英格兰中部长大，以及他在第一次世界大战中的经历，深刻影响了他的创作。他运用了典型的亚瑟王故事框架，将自然的农业生活与工业化的无灵机械效率进行对比。
所以我的问题是——帕兰提尔和安都瑞尔的创始人是否真的读过J.R.R.托尔金的作品，如果读过，他们是否理解其文本？假设他们确实理解公司名称背后的象征意义，他们是在故意调侃我们，还是仅仅是在以一种花哨、愤世嫉俗的方式将我们的怀旧情感商品化，以此作为制造战争工具的品牌宣传？我不确定哪种情况更糟，但这一切让我感到恶心。
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<i>The Lord of the Rings</i> famously includes very strong thematic critiques of industrialization and technological encroachment into everyday life.[0] Tolkien portrays the titular relics, as well as many of the other magical artifacts in Middle Earth like the palentiri, as tools of evil, destruction, and environmental devastation. Tolkien cited his upbringing in the rapidly industrializing English Midlands and his experiences in World War I as major influences, and used the typical Arthurian framing of good versus evil to contrast natural, agrarian life with the soulless, mechanical efficiency of industrialization.<p>So my question is--have the founders of Palentir[1] and Anduril[2] ever actually read JRR Tolkien, and if so, did they comprehend its text? Assuming they do understand the symbolism behind their company names, are they just trolling us; Or are they simply engaging in a gimmicky, cynical effort to commoditize our nostalgia as a branding exercise for manufacturers of the literal tools for war? I'm not sure which would be worse, but the whole thing makes me feel nauseous.[3]<p>---<p>0. [Themes of The Lord of the Rings - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Themes_of_The_Lord_of_the_Rings#)<p>1. The <i>Palantíri</i> (singular: <i>palantír</i>) are indestructible, magical crystal balls used for long-distance communication and scrying. Derived from the Elvish language Quenya, the name translates to "Far-seer". It also refers to a prominent provider of data mining and surveillance technology.<p>2. <i>Andúril</i> (elvish word meaning "Flame of the West") is Aragorn’s legendary sword that was forged by the Elves of Rivendell from the shards of <i>Narsil</i>, the iconic weapon broken when Elendil fell in the Second Age. It also refers to prominent defense contractor who develops military technology specialized in advanced autonomous systems.<p>3. This is only tangentially relevant (at best) but I'm gonna leave it here anyhow: https://therepublicofletters.substack.com/p/calvin-and-hobbes-and-the-price-of