The Story About How A 7-Year-Old Girl's Wish For A Dragon Came True
Science agency creates mythical fire-breathing beast after 7-year-old Sophie requests a dragon be made for her. The story is so full of hope and joy, it will lift your spirit up. Enjoy our #FeelGoodFriday.
By Sadho Ram — 10 Jan 2014, 05:37 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
7-year-old Sophie Lester is Australia's very own pint-sized Khaleesi. Why? Because over Christmas, she wrote a letter to the national science agency CSIRO asking for a dragon of her own.
Both the letter and the agency's response are so cute you're going to feel like passing out. Like seriously.
Here's Sophie's letter. PS: Try reading it to yourself in the voice of a little girl (possibly with an Australian accent, if you can), but, you know, not in public because people will think you're weird.
Those dark marks bleeding through the paper that contains her letter are actually from the drawing she made on the back, which. Gah. So cute.
CSIRO responded to Sophie's letter and drawing on their website, writing, in parts:
"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."
metro.co.uk
"There are no dragons."
theguardian.com
"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."
telegraph.co.uk"And for this Australia, we are sorry."
csironewsblog.com
Sophie’s letter, and CSIRO's response, made an unexpected splash across the globe. It was featured on TIME, Huffington Post, The Independent, Yahoo, Breakfast TV, the list goes on.
CSIRO writes on its website saying: "People contacted us offering to help, financial institutions tweeted their support and DreamWorks Studios phoned (seriously), saying they knew how to train dragons and wanted to speak with Sophie."
csironewsblog.com
The dreams of one little girl went viral. CSIRO, of course, couldn't sit idly and do nothing. After all, they promised Sophie they would look into it. So, a dragon was born.
CSIRO writes, "Toothless, 3D printed out of titanium, came into the world at Lab 22, our additive manufacturing facility in Melbourne. The scientists there have printed some extraordinary things in the past—huge anatomically correct insects, biomedical implants and aerospace parts. So they thought a dragon was achievable."
csironewsblog.com
Toothless, born today, is a blue female dragon. Species: Seadragonus giganticus maximus
Image via wordpress.com“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, our Additive Manufacturing Operations Manager. “Titanium is super strong and lightweight, so Toothless will be a very capable flyer.”
csironewsblog.com
Toothless is currently en route from Lab 22 in Melbourne to Sophie’s home in Brisbane
Sophie’s mother Melissah said Sophie was overjoyed with CSIRO's response and has been telling everyone dragon breath can be a new fuel.
csironewsblog.com
”All her friends are now saying they want to be a scientist and Sophie says she now wants to work at CSIRO. She’s saying Australian scientists can do anything,” Melissah told the Canberra Times.
nationalpost.com