The ‘flat Earth’ theory content re-emerged during the end of the 2010s and then rapidly metastasised via YouTube during the pandemic. Picture: Freepik
The belief in a flat Earth has deep roots in ancient history, with early civilisations envisioning the world as a flat plane.
While Greek philosophers like Pythagoras and Aristotle eventually proved the Earth was spherical, some cultures held onto the flat Earth view for centuries.
The “flat Earth” theory content re-emerged during the end of the 2010s and then rapidly metastasised via YouTube during the pandemic.
Pastor Will Duffy of Colorado, who decided it was time to end the debate once and for all. On December 14, Duffy sent a group of four Flat Earthers and four "Globe Earthers" to Antarctica for what he called “The Final Experiment”.
His mission was to give conspiracy theorists undeniable proof of the Earth's shape using the one place they claim disproves it: Antarctica.
Their findings would then confirm whether the sun is actually visible in the sky for 24 hours during the southern summer, as the globe earth model claims.
However, one of the Flat Earthers, influencer Jeran Campanella, went viral for admitting that the experiment changed his mind.
"Sometimes you're wrong in life," Campanella said in a video filmed with Duffy in Antarctica. For years, he believed there was no such thing as the 24-hour sun in the southern hemisphere — a key argument for Flat Earthers.
Taking to TikTok Campanella confessed: "I thought there was no 24-hour sun. In fact, I was pretty sure of it."
But after witnessing it first-hand in Antarctica, his stance shifted. "It's a fact. The sun does circle you in the south."
While Campanella's admission was groundbreaking for someone so deeply entrenched in the Flat Earth community, not everyone is convinced.
Many conspiracy theorists remain steadfast, claiming the experiment was staged or manipulated. Despite overwhelming evidence, the fight between science and belief continues, with Antarctica now at the centre of the debate.
@sebastianvoltmer Sometimes you’re wrong in life. Flat Earther saw the midnight sun in Antarctica. What’s next? #antarctica #midnightsun #flatearthdebunked #flatearth #globe #thefinalexperiment ♬ original sound - Dr. Sebastian Voltmer ✨