In the late 1960s, a young Israeli man named Uri Geller gained a substantial amount of attention and fame following a collection of remarkable demonstrations on US and British television. In full view of astonished audiences, Uri was seemingly able to manipulate metal with his mind. Spoons softened in his hands, keys curled at the gentle stroke of his fingers, and he was able to cause compasses to wobble at his cajoling. He was also known to restart stopped wristwatches by merely holding them in his hands. According to Geller, these feats were the products of sheer will, a phenomenon known as psychokinesis.

In addition to his mental metallurgy and magnetism, the dashing young Israeli demonstrated potent psychic abilities, most notably in his ability to reproduce drawings which he had never seen. A volunteer would draw a picture while Uri was not watching, and Geller would use his gifts to attempt to reproduce the image. Although his recreations were not always completely accurate, they were of sufficient similarity to provoke astonishment from onlookers.

Geller's exploits in the 1970s significantly raised awareness of paranormal science worldwide, and since that time many have gone on to mimic his feats. Though there are throngs of skeptics– many of whom present compelling evidence refuting his claims– some of the handiwork exhibited by Geller and his spoon-bending contemporaries remains a mystery.

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