California Flat Earther admits partial defeat after seeing sun in Antarctica
A California Flat Earther admitted to a partial defeat after flying all the way to Antarctica to see a pillar of Flat Earth belief destroyed within the space of 24 hours.
The trip was organized by Colorado pastor Will Duffy, who hoped to convince several prominent Flat Earth believers that the world is a sphere — which humans have known since the 5th century B.C. The trip alone was part of the proof: Many Flat Earthers believe it’s impossible to visit Antarctica because the powers that be won’t allow people to journey there and find the edge of the Earth. This, of course, ignores the fact that you can book tours to Antarctica through countless travel agencies.
The trip had to take place at this time of year when the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing its summer. In Antarctica, that means approximately 24 hours of sunlight per day for a few weeks around the summer solstice. Flat Earthers stress that the 24-hour sun does not exist, as in a model where the Earth is flat, the sun must rise and set each day.
Among the group that arrived in Antarctica on Dec. 14 was Jeran Campanella, a YouTuber who lives in Salinas, Calif. Campanella has espoused Flat Earth beliefs for years, among other conspiracy theories, on his popular social media channels. Campanella journeyed from Central California to Punta Arenas, where the group was taken to Antarctica by Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions. They set up cameras and, within the day, the Flat Earth team was forced to stand face-to-face with their cognitive dissonance.
“Sometimes you are wrong in life,” Campanella said on a video streamed from the continent. “And I thought there was no 24-hour sun. In fact, I was pretty sure of it.”
“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,” he later added. “I honestly believed there was no 24-hour sun. I honestly now believe there is.”
Another Flat Earth believer on the trip, Austin Whitsitt, was also eager to get in front of the blowback he knew he was about to receive from his fellow believers. He assured them he tracked the hourslong journey from Punta Arenas, Chile to Union Glacier, Antarctica with a compass to ensure they were actually going south.
“We have to go back to the drawing board to address the preponderance of evidence,” Whitsitt said of the 24-hour sun observation.
Although Duffy was hoping this would be the “final experiment” to debunk Flat Earth, observable evidence predictably did not convince the Flat Earth contingent.
“I don’t think it proves a globe,” Whitsitt said on the livestream. “I think it’s a singular data point.”
“What does that mean? You guys are going to have to figure that out yourself,” Campanella said. “Don’t listen to my beliefs or my opinions, it shouldn’t matter to you. But at least you should be able to accept that the sun does exactly what these guys said as far as circles the southern continent.”
Whitsitt and Campanella were right to assume they’d be under attack from their community for confirming the existence of the 24-hour sun. For days, Whitsitt has been arguing on social media with conspiracy theorists who are accusing him of faking the entire trip.
