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Explanation
The Joke
A physicist is presenting the holographic principle -- the real scientific idea that our apparently three-dimensional universe can be described as information encoded on a two-dimensional boundary. He announces: "Therefore, we can explain our apparent three-dimensional universe as a hologram encoded in a two-dimensional field!" An audience member then exclaims: "You see, brothers and sisters?! We were right! Right all along!"
The caption reveals the context: "Every so often, Professor Susskind sneaks into meetings of the Flat Earth Society to promote holographic cosmology."
The Humor
The joke is built on a delicious double meaning. The holographic principle, developed in part by physicist Leonard Susskind, genuinely posits that the universe's information can be encoded on a lower-dimensional surface. Flat Earthers believe the Earth is literally flat -- a two-dimensional surface. By having Susskind present his legitimate physics theory to Flat Earthers, Weinersmith creates a scenario where a crackpot group would enthusiastically misinterpret cutting-edge theoretical physics as validation of their conspiracy theory. The humor lies in the idea that Susskind would do this deliberately, apparently for his own amusement.
References
Leonard Susskind is a real American theoretical physicist at Stanford University who is one of the key developers of the holographic principle in string theory. The holographic principle, also associated with Gerard 't Hooft, suggests that all the information contained in a volume of space can be represented by a theory on the boundary of that region. The Flat Earth Society is a real organization that promotes the belief that the Earth is flat rather than spherical.