The Final Experiment (expedition)
The Final Experiment was a 2024 expedition to Antarctica to test the validity of modern flat Earth beliefs.
Flat Earth conspiracy beliefs
[edit]
The Earth's spherical shape was discovered in ancient Greece and has been repeatedly confirmed over the centuries since. Modern flat Earthers have used social media sites such as YouTube to spread pseudoscientific conspiracy theories claiming the shape of the Earth is a flat disc.[1]
In the azimuthal equidistant projection used by many flat Earthers, Antarctica is said to be an "ice wall" encircling the Earth. For the Sun to illuminate the entire wall at once, the entire disc would have to be lit up for 24 hours, contradicting accepted observations of the day-night cycle. Hence, observing the midnight sun would falsify the Flat Earth model.[citation needed]
Expedition
[edit]Will Duffy, a former investment broker and pastor of Agape Kingdom Fellowship in Colorado,[1] invited four "flat Earthers" and four "globe Earthers" to make a trip to the privately operated Union Glacier Camp located at approximately 79 degrees south latitude, where they could observe the midnight sun.[2] The expedition cost approximately $35,000 per person. Some expedition members crowdfunded their trip, while Duffy says he paid the travel costs for four of the participants. Duffy also started a YouTube channel called "The Final Experiment" to promote the expedition and document the results.[1]
Many flat Earthers believed that the Antarctic Treaty restricted access to the continent during summer to preserve the "myth" of a 24-hour sun.[2] Despite this, the party disembarked at Union Glacier Camp without issue. Using Starlink, they were able to live-stream the midnight sun for three days.[3]
Reactions
[edit]Jeran Campanella, an American who has promoted flat Earth beliefs on YouTube under the name Jeranism, acknowledged that his flat Earth model was no longer valid after witnessing the midnight sun firsthand.[1] He said, "I realise that I'll be called a shill for just saying that. And you know what, if you're a shill for being honest, so be it."[2]
The wider Flat Earth community has moved to deny the results, claiming that the footage was filmed in a dome studio or on a green screen, and that the participants were part of a larger conspiracy to promote the globe model. Duffy was accused of taking funds from his church to finance the expedition, which he has denied.[1] Dominic Enyart, a friend of Duffy and a member of his congregation, said the accusations were baseless.[1] Alabama pastor Dean Odle suggested that Satan created a fireball to act as a false sun to undermine a fringe interpretation of Scripture.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Phillips, Noelle (17 January 2025). "A Colorado pastor thought he could make flat-Earthers see the light in Antarctica. It didn't work". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Chung, Frank (19 December 2024). "'Sometimes you are wrong': Flat earthers admit defeat after seeing 24-hour Antarctica sun". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
- ^ Porter, Evan (18 December 2024). "Flat Earther visits Antarctica to see if the 24-hour sun is real and has an emotional reaction". Upworthy. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Ropek, Lucas (19 December 2024). "Flat Earther Expedition to Antartica Bolsters Case That Our Planet Is Round". Gizmodo.
External links
[edit]- the-final-experiment
.com – Official website - youtube
.com /@The-Final-Experiment – Videos of the experiment