'I would call it Toothless if it's a girl and Stuart if it's a boy': Seven-year-old writes to scientists asking them to make her a dragon



Sophie Lester, from Australia, wrote to national science agency (CSIRO)

She wrote: 'Would it be possible if you can male a dragon for me?'

She added: 'I would play with it every weekend when there's no school'

Scientists replied to apologise for yet being unable to make a dragon

But made her a 3D model from t itanium

A seven-year-old girl has captured the hearts of people around the globe after an adorable letter she wrote to scientists asking them to 'make her a dragon' was published on the internet.



Sophie Lester, from Queensland, Australia, wrote to her country's national science agency (CSIRO) before Christmas with her delightful request.

She wrote: 'Hello lovely scientist... Would it be possible if you can make a dragon for me? I would like it if you could but if you can't that's fine.

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Childhood wish: Sophie Lester asked scientists if they could make her a dragon

Instructions: With her letter, she drew a picture asking if the dragon could have a black face

'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.'

The little girl included a drawing of how she imagined the dragon would look, pointing out that 'the face should be black'.

The science agency revealed the letter on their website where they included the response they sent back to the school girl, apologising that: 'Over the past 87 odd years we have not been able to create a dragon or dragon eggs.'

They added: '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.'

Cute: The little girl's letter addressed to 'lovely scientist'

Next best thing: The agency made her a 3D model of a dragon instead

But after Sophie's letter went viral, prompting responses from countries around the world, the scientists decided to try a bit harder to make Sophie's dream come true.

While they couldn't create her a real dragon, they did the next best thing, making a her a 3D model out of titanium that will be able to fly.

Chad Henry, CSIRO additive manufacturing operations manager, wrote: 'Toothless 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.

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

They added that they hope Sophie will maintain her interest in science when she grows up.



Sophie's mother, Melissah, told the Canberra Times that her daughter was delighted with the agency's response and now she and all her friends 'want to be a scientist'.

