What is the opposite of <insert something here>

[Bobleplask]

Some of you may have read some of Terry Pratchett's work, and in one of his books (Colour of magic, I think) he says something along these lines: Darkness is not the opposite of light. It's the lack of light.

So what exactly is the opposite of light?

And after that I went far away into my mind. So now I have a list.

What is the opposite of:


matter
light
darkness
humans (guess this is connected to the "matter" question really)
thoughts
water
energy


My definition of opposite? I like numbers, so if light is "1" and darkness is 0, the opposite of light is "-1". Conclusion, the opposite of something is whatever makes it 0.

Matter + anti-matter is probably 0. But I don't know.

Input or is this just me mumbling incoherent crap?

[Jakalwarrior]

matter- anti-matter
light- anti photons
darkness- photons
humans- anti-people made of anti matter :D
thoughts- anti-people thoughts?
water- anti hydrogen bonded with anti oxygen?
energy- crowds of people, shopping, lots of things for me :D

[zibber]

Why would you think everything has an opposite?

[muguly]

what's the opposite of opposite?

[Mozzes]

what's the opposite of opposite?

The same?

[muguly]

The same?

WOW!!! I'm an idiot.:shhh:

[Bobleplask]

matter- anti-matter
light- anti photons
darkness- photons
humans- anti-people made of anti matter :D
thoughts- anti-people thoughts?
water- anti hydrogen bonded with anti oxygen?
energy- crowds of people, shopping, lots of things for me :D

What does anti-matter, anti-people and anti-molecules look like?

I don't think photons is the opposite of darkness, nor really light either. It's what light travels in - somewhat.


Why would you think everything has an opposite?

I am not sure, but I think it has something to do with the numbers i said. For 1 to exist it's given that also -1 exists. My knowledge of everything is based on balance and for balance to exist things need something opposite.

[muguly]

What's the opposite of me?

[Erika Redmark]

My knowledge of everything is based on balance and for balance to exist things need something opposite.

Well, at some point in the universe, matter started outnumbering (out-amounting? ^^; ) antimatter (right?)…so balance doesn't seem to be completely necessary, between those things at least.

[kevintr]

Matter + anti-matter is probably 0. But I don't know.

When matter and anti-matter meet they annihilate and create energy. In modern physics the line between energy and matter is blurred, so matter + anti-matter leads to energy which could lead to matter or anti-matter or both.





kevintr added to this post, 12 minutes and 7 seconds later...

Well, at some point in the universe, matter started outnumbering (out-amounting? ^^; ) antimatter (right?)…so balance doesn't seem to be completely necessary, between those things at least.

Cosmoligists think the big bang created equal amounts of matter and anti-matter but there's a quark in the math that allows a tiny amount of matter to escape annihilation.