By Tim Binnall
A Colorado pastor hopes to settle the Flat Earth debate "once and for all" by way of an ambitious expedition that will bring a group of believers and skeptics to Antarctica. Dubbed 'The Final Experiment,' the audacious mission is reportedly the brainchild of Pastor Will Duffy, who conceived of the idea after learning that the controversial conspiracy theory continues to have its adherents in this day and age. Determined to end the longstanding but lopsided argument over the shape of the planet, he devised a scientific challenge that he believes will satisfy both camps.
Specifically, the concept centers around bringing four Flat Earthers and four non-believers to Antarctica to observe the sun during the continent's summer season. If, as science has documented in the past, the sun remains in the sky for 24 hours because of the position of the planet, this would serve as confirmation that the Earth is a globe. A press release detailing the experiment explains that such an observation would upend the Flat Earth theory as it argues that "since Antarctica is an ice wall encircling the rest of the world, the sun must rise and set each day."
Lest one think the expedition is a flight of fancy or merely hypothetical, Duffy along with four Flat Earthers and four non-believers will actually be making the journey to Antarctica next weekend on December 14th. Upon arrival, the group intends to spend 24 hours documenting whether or not the sun moves. "I created The Final Experiment to end this debate, once and for all," Duffy declared in the press release, "after we go to Antarctica, no one has to waste any more time debating the shape of the Earth."
That said, the announcement of the expedition concludes with something of a cliffhanger wherein it asks if the conspiracy theorists will "change their mind" should the sun never set during their time in Antarctica. Based on the long history of the Flat Earth theory, it is a fairly safe assumption that not very many adherents will alter their opinions on the shape of the planet no matter how conclusive the experiment may turn out to be.