The Alethiometer
The Alethiometer is a device driven by Dust that is able to answer questions formed in the mind
of the user. It is a symbol reader, with each of the 36 symbols having an infinite number of meanings.
A skilled user forms their questions by imagining how far down the particular meaning they are searching
for is on the ladder of meanings for that symbol, and must hold the three levels in their mind while the
alethiometer makes its response by stopping on a symbol for each number of times that the meaning is down
on the ladder of meanings. There are massive books in the libraries of Lyra’s Oxford dedicated to the
countless meanings of the symbols. In the ‘His Dark Materials’ books, this is the object used by Lyra to
help her on her quest. She uses it to trick Iofur, to learn about Will, and countless other times.
Well, well...
Read more at The Golden Compass