Pastor funds flat-earther's trip to the Antarctic to prove the Earth is flat — and the results are glorious

Even though renowned historical figures like Pythagoras, Aristotle and others proposed that the Earth is spherical centuries ago, flat Earthers still persist today. At the core of their beliefs is Antarctica, which they claim is a giant ice wall—either as a barrier around the edge of the flat disc or as an endless icy expanse. To challenge this, Pastor Will Duffy from Colorado decided to take matters into his own hands. He launched a mission called "The Final Experiment," bringing both flat Earth and globe Earth participants to the South Pole. According to a press release from Duffy, four flat Earthers and four globe Earthers set out for Antarctica on December 14.

A week before the Southern Hemisphere's Summer Solstice, the expedition aimed "to end the debate over the shape of the Earth." Duffy's plan was to bring flat Earthers to Antarctica, who wrongly believed that the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 prevented them from entering the frozen continent. This time of year is when summer is at its peak in Antarctica. According to Pastor Duffy, visiting the South Pole in summer is crucial because the sun shouldn’t set in much of Antarctica due to Earth’s tilt. “But on a flat Earth, since Antarctica is an ice wall encircling the rest of the world, the sun must rise and set each day. It could never circle in the sky all 24 hours, like it does in Antarctica,” the pastor stated in the press release.

“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 added. Joining the mission was popular flat Earther Jeran Campanella, who—in a video shared by Dr. Sebastian Voltmer (@sebastianvoltmer on TikTok)—shared his experience on the ground. Voltmer's video became a hot topic online after Campanella admitted that the Earth was indeed round. After spending nearly a week in Antarctica, the flat Earth believer said, “Sometimes you're wrong in life. I thought that there was no 24-hour sun. In fact, I was pretty sure of it.”

But Campanella took a complete U-turn after the $35,000 trip facilitated by Pastor Duffy. “It's a fact. The sun does circle you in the south,” Campanella acknowledged in the nearly two-and-a-half-minute video. He added, “I realize that I'll be called a shill for just saying that.” The former conspiracy theory believer seemed shaken by the unexpected backlash, quietly retracting his statement. “It doesn't mean that… flat Earth is over. Maybe somebody's got the answer. I don't have that answer right now,” remarked Campanella, distancing himself from the ongoing controversy.

The video, shot during what was described as the "midnight sun" in Antarctica, garnered massive attention on social media, receiving 486.9K views and a variety of reactions. Among them, many flat Earth conspiracists angrily accused Campanella, Pastor Duffy and the others of lying and faking "The Final Experiment" videos using a green screen. “I respect you for admitting you're wrong,” @andrewlynch10 commented. “I’ve yet to understand why there would be a global conspiracy to hide the fact the Earth is flat. Like what would be the payoff there?” @alexeffbrown asked.

You can follow Dr. Sebastian Voltmer (@sebastianvoltmer) on TikTok for more space-related and scientific content and The Final Experiment on YouTube for more updates.