To cause something to become bipolar or to split into two distinct opposite poles or factions.
From bi- (two) + polarize (from Latin polaris). Created in the 20th century as a verb form to describe the active process of systems developing two opposing centers.
When scientists 'bipolarize' a molecule in a lab or when politicians inadvertently 'bipolarize' a debate, they're essentially forcing complexity into a simple either-or choice—which can make problems easier to understand but harder to solve.
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