Stargate Project (the real one). This was reportedly instigated by Senator Claiborne Pell (D Rhode Island), who had a strong interest in the paranormal. James Randi and Martin Gardner both believed that Pell was completely sincere but extremely gullible.

Physicists Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff began testing psychics for SRI (Stanford Research Institute) in 1972, including one who would later become an international celebrity, Israeli Uri Geller. Their apparently successful results garnered interest within the U.S. Department of Defense. Ray Hyman, professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, was asked by Air Force psychologist Lt. Col. Austin W. Kibler (1930-2008)—then Director of Behavioral Research for ARPA—to go to SRI and investigate. He was to specifically evaluate Geller. Hyman’s report to the government was that Geller was a “complete fraud” and as a consequence Targ and Puthoff lost their government contract to do further work with him.