"Main-stream" parapsychology failed to handle properly Uri Geller and
"mini-Gellers". That was a major drawback to parapsychology, when
first-class and compelling evidence was ignored and even blankly denied,
because it was not "plausible". What is plausible evidence in
parapsychology? Nothing, say skeptics and mainstream scientists.

Scholars have difficulties in understanding the strength of physical
evidence because they are not interested in what kind of world we are living
in. They are interested in what people think and do.

The loss could perhaps be partly repaired by building a network of best
possible experts and looking what there is left of the evidence. Something
has already been done - there is a vast bibliography concerning Geller
information:
http://www.zem.demon.co.uk/uribib.htm .

The international metal-bending network would have at least following tasks:

-- gather names of all metal-benders in a database, with all possible
reference
information (quality level of the experiments, background of the benders
etc.)
-- try to find all test pieces left (most of them have been thrown away)
-- try to arrange metallurgical research for most interesting pieces
-- gather and analyze all details of metallurgical observations which have
already been done
-- try to find new benders and arrange new well documented experiments with
them ("spoon bending parties" etc.)
-- keep a public site in Internet to enhance the work (although the personal
information is mostly confidential)

I would guess that the network could find at least one thousand benders. If
there are enough test-pieces left, very strong evidence can still be found.
Some pieces can produce even compelling evidence, when the same effects are
impossible to accomplish by normal means. For example, if:
-- brittle pieces have broken toughly,
-- tough pieces have broken as if they had been brittle,
-- only in hands bent pieces have necked,
-- there are "impossible" microstructures or fracture surfaces in the
pieces, then there is very strong evidence for paranormality.

- Olavi