# Reversing the Polarity

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reversing-the-polarity/795450>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 4, 2017, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reversing-the-polarity/795450 "2017-09-04T03:11:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 34

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reversing-the-polarity/795450/34 "2017-09-05T01:46:02Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> The only time reversing the polarity solves a problem is when the problem was that you had the wrong polarity to begin with. If the Enterprise was working fine before Scotty got his hands on it, then reversing the polarity won’t help.
> 
> That said, if you reverse the polarity on an incandescent light bulb, it’ll produce anti-photons.
> 
> (I can’t remember who I stole that from, but it was someone here)

Actually, that was me.

> [@Reversing the Polarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reversing-the-polarity/123345/29):
>
> I reversed the polarity on my desk lamp by pulling out the plug and putting the plug back in upside-down.
> 
> Now the light bulb emits ANTI-photons!  
> :eek:

[https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=130145&highlight=polarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=130145&highlight=polarity)

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