An upcoming flat Earth documentary is keeping truth-seekers across the globe (or disk?) in suspense, and some believe it could substantiate their claims that everyone has been taught lies all along.
"The Flat Earth: To the Edge and Back" is a documentary filmed by YouTube star Logan Paul set to come out on 20 March. The trailer, which has racked up over 1.5 million views so far, shows how Paul talked to multiple flat Earth supporters, including Robbie Davidson, the organiser of the 2018 Flat Earth International Conference.
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Paul visited the convention, which ran in Denver, Colorado last November. "I consider myself a man of truth, someone who hates being ignorant. I'm not ashamed to say my name is Logan Paul and I think I'm coming out of the Flat Earth closet," Paul said on stage to a round of applause.
"If I'm going to put my name out there, I want to know the facts. The fact that we haven't been to the Moon in over 50 years, the fact that the Moon emits its own light. Some of the best scientists can't explain gravity; Neil Degrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, in the end, do they even know? I want to explore for myself and keep an open mind. There is a stigma of being a flat Earther and if I'm going to do it, I want to know the facts."
According to Forbes journalist Jim Dobson, Logan Paul has an interest in embarking on a trip across the Antarctic to reach the alleged wall of ice and prove the flat Earth theory.
"I am that guy that will make it to the edge," he was quoted as telling Davidson.
Paul has been tight-lipped about his own findings, saying that "We joined their movement and picked their brains about why they think the Earth is flat." "Then, [we] came to conclusions of our own, which you'll see in the documentary."
Davidson believes that Paul will likely leave the documentary open-ended, but still praised him for his efforts. YouTube has recently changed its recommendation algorithm, making harder for conspiracy theories to spread throughout the platform. Davidson called this policy an "oppression of free speech" and inquired why the site is curbing such videos if they are "crazy and stupid" (which could be the point, though).
Although the bizarre theory has its roots in ancient times, the modern flat Earth craze gained traction only in the 19th century. The Universal Zetetic Society, a precursor to the Flat Earth Society, was founded in 1892. Its cosmology was based on Zetetic Astromony, a book by English writer Samuel Rowbotham, whose views were based largely on the literal interpretation of the book of Genesis.
The International Flat Earth Society was set up in 1956 by a British man, Samuel Shenton, who claimed that the Earth was a flat disk centred on the North Pole, while what people believe to be the Antarctic is a massive impenetrable ice wall surrounding our planet.