--- title: "Flat Earthers Befuddled as They Visit Antarctica and Earth Appears to Be Round" description: "Flat Earthers visited Antarctica for the first time and discovered, to their surprise, that our planet is actually round." date: "2024-12-18" modified: "2024-12-18" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/flat-earthers-befuddled-round" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "Antarctica" - "flat earthers" - "midnight sun" - "the digest" --- # Flat Earthers Befuddled as They Visit Antarctica and Earth Appears to Be Round ![Flat Earthers visited Antarctica for the first time and discovered, to their surprise, that our planet is actually round.]() *TOPSHOT - Colombian Navy divers take samples on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica on January 27, 2024. Scientists and researchers from various countries are collaborating on projects during the X Antarctic Expedition aboard the Colombian research vessel 'ARC Simon Bolivar,' designed exclusively to develop scientific projects. These initiatives involve analyzing the current condition of the Antarctic sea, studying atmospheric pressure, and monitoring the species inhabiting this region of the planet. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP) (Photo by JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images) \Image: JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images\* ## Around We Go After a pastor took a group of Flat Earthers to Antarctica to prove definitively what shape our planet is, some of the truthers were startled to find that the globe is indeed round. In an expedition dubbed "[The Final Experiment]()," pastor Will Duffy [took a group of Flat Earthers]() to Antarctica for the first time ever. His mission: to prove that there are no barriers — [literal]() or [figurative]() — to prevent them from visiting, but also that the Sun shines there 24 hours a day in the summer — something that simply couldn't happen if the planet was actually flat. "I created The Final Experiment to end this debate, once and for all," Duffy said in a [press release ahead of the trip](). "After we go to Antarctica, no one has to waste any more time debating the shape of the Earth." In a [video from that voyage](), Flat Earth influencer Jeran Campanella admitted that when it comes to the midnight Sun, he may have been mistaken. "Sometimes you are wrong in life," Campanella said. "I thought there was no 24-hour Sun. In fact, I was pretty sure of it." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_LNSbStu9c ## Sun Says Upon witnessing the [round-the-clock sunlight during the Arctic summer](), which is opposite ours in the Northern Hemisphere, the Flat Earth enthusiast professed that when it comes to the Sun's movements, so-called "Globe Earthers" are right. "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," Campanella said. "I honestly now believe there is." While the trip did seem to persuade at least one prominent Flat Earther that his beliefs were wrong, another of the conspiracy-theorizing Arctic voyagers was less convinced. "I have seen a physical demonstration that could show this working, but I do think that some of the data we're going to have from this trip will help to clarify if that is what's actually happening," Flat Earther Austin Whitsitt said. As for Duffy, the surprising voice for science behind the expedition, he just seemed glad that he and his motley crew of explorers made it all the way down to the South Pole in one piece. **More on conspiracy debunking:** [*Congressman Asks FEMA Head If She’s Controlling Weather, Sending Hurricanes to Trump Voters’ Homes*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()