A group of flat earthers are reportedly planning an expedition to the Antartic, where they believe they will reach the edge of the world.
It has to be said that the Flat Earth community is growing. A group of 'theorists' who believe the world is actually flat are organising conventions, cruises, a planned television series, and future expeditions to uncover what they believe are the hidden truths and mysteries of the world.
Controversial YouTube star Logan Paul recently expressed his desire to journey to the edge of the Earth and will release a documentary called “The Flat Earth: to the Edge and Back” premiering March 20.
Although this might seem like a frightening prospect for someone with this belief system, many flat earthers actually think the earth is neatly tucked inside a dome, ‘snow globe’ style. This dome theory suggests there shouldn’t any risk of clumsily tumbling off the edge like a gigantic version of your front porch step. Phew.
Despite the fact there have been nearly 100 years of pioneers, aviators, navigators, and explorers who’ve already circumnavigated the world in planes, sailboats, ships, and hot air balloons, people still believe the earth is flat.
While I am certainly not a Flat Earth believer, I am always intrigued by the mystery of our planet and can’t ignore the dedication and growing Flat Earth organisations and followers throughout the world.
The community simply do not believe Earth is round, despite NASA astronauts testifying to the contrary, who’ve had the privilege of a celestial birds eye view. Flat-Earthers believe the government is hiding the truth about the earth being flat. According to the theories, the images from space are doctored ones, and the earth is nothing more than a flat-shaped space ship of sorts.
Sitting down recently with Robbie Davidson, Youtube star Logan Paul was passionate about his interest in trekking across Antarctica to confirm the flat earth theory hoping he would be the first to reach the wall. “I am that guy that will make it to the edge,” he says at the Flat Earth International Conference in Denver.
Davidson, (who is not affiliated with the Flat Earth Society) is plannng an enormous cruise in 2020 for Flat Earthers to convene and discuss theories while continuing his popular yearly conventions around the country. His take on Antarctica is fuelled by what he calls real exact science. “When we look at Antarctica if you take a globe and you squish it down, the Antarctic would go all the way around the Earth. It’s kind of like an ice shore and its very very large. It’s not like you just go there, and you can just peek over it. We don’t believe anything can fall off the edge, because a big portion of the flat earth community believe that we’re in a dome, like a snow globe. So the sun, moon, and stars are all inside. It’s very high but all contained inside. So there’s no way to actually fall off of the earth.”
An example of the current leading flat earth theoretical map
As reported by Forbes, flat earther Jay Decasby has explained how they plan to ‘shut this debate down once and for all’:
“All we have to do to shut this debate down once and for all is get the distance of the coast of Antarctica. It has been done by early sailors (before the UN was established and set up its Antarctic treaty essentially making it illegal for independent and private exploration of Antarctica) who managed to make 60k+ miles which irrefutably proves the flat earth model, but like all other mountains of evidence for flat earth this is not enough for ballers today. If we can get to the coast of Antarctica and sail all the way around it, we will get the distance that will prove it’s the outer edges of flat earth and refute entirely every single argument anyone can possibly try to pitch for the sun-worshipping cult of heliocentrism.”
“They’ve made laws to not allow any kind of motorised equipment on the ice which would help us prove not only flat earth but what’s beyond the ice wall, but in reality, we don’t even need to get onto the ice to prove flat earth. The coast of Antarctica on the ball earth is no more than 14.5k miles. On a flat earth, it would be over 60k…we have evidence of 60k+ and none of 14.5.”
Although the existence of a southern continent had been hypothesised as early as the writings of Ptolemy in the 1st century AD, the South Pole was not reached until 1911. There have been 16 journeys across portions of Antarctica throughout the years, with expeditions such as Borge Ousland’s 1997 kite expedition, and in 2006 Rune Gjeldnes skied 2,988 miles in the South Pole region with kites. In 2012, Felicity Aston became the first woman to ski alone through parts of Antarctica.
Theres also the fact that in 2018, Colin O’Brady completed a solo, unsupported and unaided crossing of Antarctica in a 54-day journey which created a firestorm on both sides of the Flat Earth debate. And dispite the fact that you can book trips online to visit the Antarctic privately. Critics said it delivers proof of no flat earth while others are not convinced.
Comprehensive list of Antarctic Exploration
Decasby says,
“In 1773 Captain Cook became the first modern explorer known to have breached the Antarctic circle and reached the ice barrier. He intended to sail completely around Antarctica looking for inlets through the ice-wall. Sailing a total of 60,000 miles along the Antarctic coastline he never once found an inlet or path through or beyond the massive glacial wall. Cook wrote: ‘The ice extended east and west far beyond the reach of our sight, while the southern half of the horizon was illuminated by rays of light which were reflected from the ice to a considerable height.’”
According to Forbes, many flat earthers believe the UN Antarctic Treaty of 1961 will not allow for any private exploration of Antarctica.
Eric Dubay and other flat Earthers feel that Antarctica is impenetrable and that the UN Antarctic Treaty of 1961 will not allow any private exploration to happen there. Jay Decasby further explains the controversy behind the O’Brady expedition “The only information the public received was the claims of O’Brady, his several selfies, and endless hearsay. The one and only piece of information that even remotely mattered, however, was missing. The factual and irrefutable evidence of this alleged crossing. No telemetry data, no GPS coordinates, no evidence of any kind that O’Brady took the route he did, accomplished the miles he had or did the crossing at all for that matter. Some may claim that because there are no cell towers along his route, it was impossible to obtain this kind of factual evidence and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he did, in fact, complete the trip as he had claimed.”
“If O’Brady had cell service and some kind of connection it would mean his coordinates would also be known and recorded. These coordinates have not been provided to the public. Is it because these coordinates do not exist? Or perhaps O’Brady didn’t actually take that route or accomplish his alleged mission in the claimed 54 days?”
Colin O’Brady who responded to this accusation with “The GPS coordinates were published publicly throughout the entire expedition in real time. Anyone could click the link on the website any time of day to see exact latitude and longitude coordinates.”
Talk-show host and modern-day philosopher Joe Rogan interviewed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to discuss the phenomena of round-earth doubters recently. Tyson says the issue is a matter of fact. No matter the facts presented, Tyson says it’s about, “knowing enough to think you’re right, but not enough to know you’re wrong.”
Tyson refuses to debate flat-Earthers preferring to ask them to provide their “best” piece of evidence for their argument, as well as admitting, “what would it take to show that you’re wrong?” Despite overwhelming evidence to support a round earth, the astrophysicist says flat-Earthers are usually unshaken, albeit mistaken.
As I write this article i can't help but note that these 'theorists' and 'community leaders' are in a lot of cases making money from the idea through activities or merchandising. So would have a vested interest in ignoring the facts as presented to them for a ball Earth.
In a world of information overload and increasing uncertainty I can see where the trust in the status quo can be lost. In my opinion the Flat Earth movement it the far end of that spectrum. They are to science what incels are to dating. I get the feeling that they're scientists that were failed by their high school science teachers, enquiring minds on the fringes of the science community looking back with anger. But they are asking questions and with time those questions will be answered and evidence will eventually win the war.
Further reading: Why do people still believe the Earth is flat?