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submitted 2 days ago by Emperor@feddit.uk to c/andfinally@feddit.uk

In a surprising turn of events, a well-known flat-earther conceded that his long-held conspiracy theory was incorrect after embarking on a 9,000-mile journey to Antarctica.

YouTuber Jeran Campanella traveled to the southernmost continent to witness a 24-hour sun - a phenomenon that would be impossible if the Earth were flat.

"I realize 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 - I honestly believed there was no 24-hour sun... I honestly now believe there is. That's it," added Campanella.

...

Campanella still didn't fully embrace the globe Earth model: “I won’t say the Earth is a perfect sphere,” then said, after first admitting he was wrong.

...

The expedition was part of the Final Experiment project, organized by Colorado pastor Will Duffy, who "hopes to end the debate over the shape of the Earth."

The expedition was part of the Final Experiment project, organized by Colorado pastor Will Duffy, who "hopes to end the debate over the shape of the Earth."

He arranged an expedition in which four flat Earthers and four "globe Earthers" were flown to Antarctica to witness the continent's midnight Sun. Antarctica's Midnight Sun is one of many proofs that the Earth is spherical. It can only occur on a tilted and rotating sphere, and the axial tilt during summer positions the South Pole to face the Sun continuously for 24 hours.

Flat Earthers often claim that the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 prevents civilians from visiting the southernmost continent in an attempt to hide the true shape of planet Earth. However, Pastor Duffy wanted to demonstrate that this wasn't the case.

"I created The Final Experiment to end this debate, once and for all. After we go to Antarctica, no one has to waste any more time debating the shape of the Earth," Duffy declared in a statement. "This is, of course, assuming that the entire "experiment" isn't just an elaborate prank designed to fool us 'globe Earthers.' It seems highly unlikely, but we'll keep you posted if anything changes – not that we're trying to sound conspiratorial or paranoid."

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[-] frozenpopsicle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 13 hours ago

Now we just need to raise enough money to fly each of these crazies from pole to pole. Ugh...

[-] lud@lemm.ee 3 points 20 hours ago

Seems excessive to go to Antarctica to get 24 hour sun. Just go to upper Sweden or something.

[-] gex@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago

They believe the south pole is the edge of the earth, so a 24 hour earth is only possible in the north pole

[-] spicehoarder@lemm.ee 1 points 19 hours ago

It help to also demonstrate that the stars are oriented differently in the southern hemisphere

[-] Uruanna@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Not when the Sun is blocking them 24 hours a day though. Sorry, stars are closed, come back in 6 months.

[-] GaMEChld@lemmy.world 31 points 1 day ago

The Earth is not a perfect sphere, nor is it argued to be. It is an oblate spheroid. It bulges at the equator due to the spinning. Additionally, if it were perfectly spherical, we wouldn't have changes in elevation, mountains, etc.

[-] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago

If I shrunk it down to the same size the earth would be smoother than a billiard ball.

Yup. The earth is definitely not round, but we only really notice the hills and valleys because of the scale. The earth may not be smooth when you’re a tiny organism living on it, but it is smooth when you’re looking at it from a much larger perspective.

[-] KneeTitts@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

Well the problem with flat earthers has never been lack of evidence, its mental illness and gulibility

[-] GaMEChld@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Oh sure, but it's good to point out their stupidity from multiple angles. Instead of trying to refute them, I'm attacking the very premise. It's fun pointing out that the "side" they are arguing against isn't even making the claims they are making.

[-] ohwhatfollyisman@lemmy.world 179 points 2 days ago

this person should be celebrated, not ridiculed. we all could stand to learn from him no matter how divergent our views on life are.

he sought evidence willingly and did not dismiss it out of hand when it didn't support his hypothesis. in fact, he has gone further and rejected that hypothesis.

his starting point may have been misinformed but he has had the courage to use the scientific method to recalibrate. i salute him.

[-] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago

He dug in his heels and refused any facts and evidence until someone else spent a pile of money to give him something he could no longer argue with.

Yes, he finally admitted the earth may not be flat. Things everyone with a brain already knew. Refusing to listen to experts and insisting you know better until you personally are given special treatment to be shown you are wrong is not something to be applauded.

Fuck this guy for taking it this far.

[-] ByteJunk@lemmy.world 33 points 2 days ago

Kudos to the guy for admitting he was wrong, but I wouldn't celebrate it too much.

If they're able to disregard and misinterpret all the available proof regarding Earth's shape, something is fundamentally wrong. Either they lack the... mental acuity to deal with abstract concepts, or they're severely lacking in critical thinking.

At least the second one can be overcome if one commits to learning in a structured way, but the first one...

[-] mortemtyrannis@lemmy.ml 14 points 2 days ago

Neither of those reasons are necessarily required to believe in a conspiracy theory.

Plenty of objectively smart people succumb to conspiracy theories. I am almost certain you have unfounded beliefs that when scrutinised make no logical sense.

Often it is just that a person has been disenfranchised and in a vulnerable position where seizing upon a conspiracy theory gives them a sense of control, community and power.

[-] DogWater@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I think this is a lot more common than any other reason.

There is constantly a group of people somewhere shouting loudly that this fact you were just told is no longer true. About everything.

The philosophy of fact and truth eventually has to bridge a gap of trust from the individual. That's where it can be exploited by some group who stands to benefit or worn down by seeing the scientists rewrite the textbooks with XYZ new discovery.

[-] Lauchs@lemmy.world 45 points 2 days ago

Exactlty. I found this a really uplifting story.

[-] Lodespawn@aussie.zone 33 points 2 days ago

I like that he refuses to believe it's a perfect sphere, like someone has been trying to convince him of that.

It's those pesky perfect sphere earthers we need to watch out for. What have they got against bulges?!

[-] Sixtyforce@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It's not a perfect sphere anyways, moon gravity and our molten ball spins. OwO nice buldge.

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[-] Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee 64 points 2 days ago

Do I also get a free trip to Antarctica, if I pretend to be fucking retarded?

[-] frostysauce@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Can we stop casually using the r-word slur? And stop using it at all while we're at it?

[-] Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago

I actually recently lost almost 2 standard deviations from my IQ due to TBI and am AuDHD. Perhaps you should ask a handicapable MF?

[-] frostysauce@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago

Big time "I'm bi so I can call people f****ts" energy.

[-] Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee 1 points 19 hours ago

Well, a very gay colleague of mine came to a costume party without a costume and when he was asked why he didn't have one he simply replied "I'm dressed as a f*g".

[-] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 2 points 18 hours ago

Whats wrong with dressing like a fig? They are delicious!

[-] stinky@redlemmy.com 2 points 1 day ago

Thank you. I'm getting so tired of people acting superior to others but behaving like scum.

[-] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 19 points 2 days ago

What they failed to mention in the article is that the four flat earthers didn't have a return ticket.

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[-] then_three_more@lemmy.world 75 points 2 days ago

Campanella still didn't fully embrace the globe Earth model: "I won't say the Earth is a perfect sphere,"

This is correct. It's an oblate spheroid, calling it a perfect sphere is an incorrect simplification.

[-] petersr@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago

Still gets closer to the truth than calling it flat.

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[-] prole 26 points 2 days ago

Campanella still didn’t fully embrace the globe Earth model: “I won’t say the Earth is a perfect sphere,” then said, after first admitting he was wrong.

Lol whatever lets you save face, bud... But FYI, scientists don't believe this either.

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[-] Lodespawn@aussie.zone 56 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Yo I also don't believe the earth is spherical, someone should fund sending me to Antarctica to prove me wrong

[-] Justas@sh.itjust.works 22 points 2 days ago

A lot of flat earthers when asked if they want to go, refused. What a bunch of idiots, that trip is expensive and makes you the coolest person in the room.

[-] wildcardology@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago

Yeah, but the grift would be over for them.

[-] Thorry84@feddit.nl 18 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

All of the people that were asked were prominent online personas in the flat earth space. Aka grifters who have made their day job out of talking nonsense and duping people. They would not just be ousted from the community they are currently in, they would also lose their income.

Just convincing any old smuk wouldn't be useful, so flat earth "influencers" were asked.

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[-] Sixtyforce@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

Yeah yeah, I don't believe, put me in orbit. I won't have a good time I promise.

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[-] Nastybutler@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

All I know is that if I was a hiring manager for any position above fry cook, my first question for potential hires would be to ask if they believe the earth is round. If they answer "no" it would save me a lot of time.

[-] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

can't ask people about their personal beliefs directly. you could form it from a series of questions though.

  • are you willing to travel across the globe for client needs?
  • how many flights would it take you to get from here to x if you flew around the planet?
  • what shape is our planet?
[-] Nastybutler@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

How about "Is the earth round?" It's an objective fact, not a question about beliefs.

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[-] Salvo@aussie.zone 42 points 2 days ago

The most surprising thing is that a Flat Earther actually admitted that they were wrong!

[-] Doom@ttrpg.network 3 points 1 day ago

He knew for years

[-] mayidar@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago

Sorry for my ignorance but why didn't they just go to the Arctic, it should be much cheaper and one don't have to go straight to the Pole, northernmost parts of Canada, Alaska, or Europe would be enough to witness 24-hours sun. I personally was to the north of the Arctic circle and the polar day was lit. And it was as cheap and easy as buy one railway ticket from Moscow.

[-] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 33 points 2 days ago

In many flat earth models they envision the arctic as the center and Antarctica as the rim, in which case 24h daylight is possible in the former but not the latter.

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[-] Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Was that 9,000 one way or was it for the round trip?

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this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2024
412 points (100.0% liked)

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