A YouTuber’s Rs 31 lakh trip to prove Earth is flat took an unexpected turn, leaving him convinced of the planet’s spherical shape.
Jeran Campanella, a YouTuber known for his firm belief in Flat Earth theories, embarked on a costly $37,000 (Rs 31.4 lakh) expedition to the Antarctic to confirm his claims about the Earth’s shape.
Determined to show that Antarctica is an “ice wall” making the edge of the flat Earth, Campanella also intended to disprove the phenomenon of the 24-hour Sun.
Before his journey, Campanella believed the Sun in Antarctica behaved unlike anywhere else, neither rising nor setting but instead remaining stationary. However, his trip to the southernmost continent shattered these convictions.
In Antarctica, Campanella witnessed the ‘Midnight Sun,’ where the Sun remains visible 24 hours a day during the summer. This phenomenon, unique to polar regions, is a key piece of evidence supporting Earth’s spherical shape.
“Sometimes you are wrong in life,” Campanella said in a video after his trip. “I thought there was no 24-hour Sun. I was pretty sure of it. Now, I believe there is.”
Acknowledging his mistake, he addressed his followers: “I know I’ll be called a shill for just saying this. But if being honest makes me a shill, so be it.” He added, “The experience also challenged the Azimuthal Equidistant (AE) map, central to Flat Earth theory. To me, the AE map no longer works. But that doesn’t mean I’m right about everything else either.”
Watch the video here:
Campanella’s journey was part of an initiative called The Final Experiment, led by Colorado paster Will Duffy. The mission brought together four Flat Earthers and four “Globe Earthers” to Antarctica to witness the Midnight Sun firsthand.
The success of the project also dismantled another Flat Earth claim: that the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 prohibits civilians from visiting the continent. Contrary to conspiracy theories, the Treaty permits tourism and research, with participants of the ‘The Final Experiment’ proving civilians can access Antarctica without restriction.
