Prepare your fleece-lined tin foil hats: a group of prominent flat-Earthers is reportedly interested in going on an expedition to Antartica, hoping to finally reveal the true nature of our planet.
According to Forbes, prominent flat-Earthers are interested in trekking across (or at least towards) Antarctica. It is unclear how they intend to accomplish this, but the pipe-dream appears to address one of the great totems of the flat-Earth theory: What’s the story behind the South Pole?
“All we need to do to end this debate once and for all is get the distance of Antarctica’s coast,” Jay Decasby, a prominent flat-Earther, told Forbes.
“If we can get to the coast of Antarctica and sail all the way around it, we’ll get the distance that proves it’s the outer edges of a flat earth and completely refute every single argument anyone can possibly pitch for the sun-worshipping cult of heliocentrism.”
Logan Paul, a controversial YouTuber, has expressed interest in the documentary The Flat Earth: To The Edge And Back, claiming, “If I’m going to put my name out there [as a Flat Earth supporter], I want to know the facts.”
According to Forbes, he added, “I am that guy who will make it to the edge.” It remains to be seen whether he is “just trolling.”
However, as flat-Earthers are well aware, the 1961 Antarctic Treaty may make this difficult. The primary goal of this international treaty is to preclude any claim to territorial sovereignty over Antarctica. However, flat-Earthers argue that it severely limits private exploration of the region. Nonetheless, the treaty requires “freedom of scientific investigation” in the area. The question of whether this is science is another matter entirely.
The nature of Antarctica is a constant source of consternation for flat-Earthers. According to the Flat Earth Society’s website, “along the edge of our local area exists a massive 150 foot Ice Wall… The Ice Wall is a massive ice wall that encircles Antarctica. “The ice shelf is several hundred meters thick.” According to the theory, the purpose of this wall is to prevent explorers from passing beyond.
It almost goes without saying that Antartica has been extensively explored and many people have crossed it for over a century. On December 14, 1911, a team led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first to reach the geographic South Pole, beating a rival British party led by Robert Falcon Scott by more than a month. Hundreds of expedition teams from around the world have since completed the feat.
You may also recall the recently proposed flat-Earther cruise across the world’s oceans in 2020. According to the Flat Earth Conference, this more modest plan is already in the works, so stay tuned.
Leave a Reply