Jan.10, 2014

A seven-year-old girl wrote to the CSIRO, Australia's primary research agency asking for a dragon, and scientists created and sent it to Sophie's home in Brisbane.

Earlier this week Sophie Lester wrote a letter to the CSIRO asking them to make her a dragon.

Hello Lovely Scientist

My name is Sophie and I am 7 years old. My dad told me about the scientists at the CSIRO. Would it be possible if you can make a dragon for me. I would like it if you could but if you can't thats fine.

I would call it toothless if it was a girl and if it is a boy I would name it Stuart.

I would keep it in my special green grass area where there are lots of space. I would feed it raw fish and I would put a collar on it. If it got hurt I would bandage it if it hurt himself. I would play with it every weekend when there is no school.

Love from Sophie

The CSIRO posted the letter online, and apologised to the 7 year old for their inability to design her a dragon. "Our work has never ventured into dragons of the mythical, fire breathing variety. And for this Australia, we are sorry." Scientist replied.

We've been doing science since 1926 and we're quite proud of what we have achieved. We've put polymer banknotes in your wallet, insect repellent on your limbs and Wi-Fi in your devices. But we've missed something.

 

There are no dragons.

 

Over the past 87 odd years we have not been able to create a dragon or dragon eggs. We have sighted an eastern bearded dragon at one of our telescopes, observed dragonflies and even measured body temperatures of the mallee dragon. But our work has never ventured into dragons of the mythical, fire breathing variety.

 

And for this Australia, we are sorry.

But the letter and the science agency's response went viral - It was featured on TIME, Huffington Post, The Independent, Yahoo, Breakfast TV etc, and people contacted CSIRO offering their help. "DreamWorks Studios phoned (seriously), saying they knew how to train dragons and wanted to speak with Sophie." tells CSIRO. "We couldn't sit here and do nothing. After all, we promised Sophie we would look into it."

This morning, scientist at CSIRO made a ground-breaking announcement. "At 9:32 a.m. (AEDT), a dragon was born."

Toothless, the baby girl dragon, is a member of the Seadragonus giganticus maximus species. Scientists spent two days designing and 3D printing the dragon in titanium, using a 3D printer at Lab 22, CSIRO's additive manufacturing facility in Melbourne.

"Being that electron beams were used to 3D print her, we are certainly glad she didn't come out breathing them … instead of fire," said Chad Henry, CSIRO's Additive Manufacturing Operations Manager. "Titanium is super strong and lightweight, so Toothless will be a very capable flyer."

Toothless is currently on its way to Sophie's Brisbane home.

Sophie's mother, Melissah Lester, says her daughter is overjoyed and now she wants to be a scientist. "All her friends are now saying they want to be a scientist and Sophie says she now wants to work at CSIRO," Melissah told the Canberra Times.

"She's saying Australian scientists can do anything."

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

 

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Nick Lancaster wrote at 1/10/2014 9:36:08 PM:

Good for Science! We need more of this kind of things with schools. Starting young, not when they are in High school. It is already too lay for most people by high school.



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