Sorry Sophie, we don't have a dragon research program

In Tbilisi, Georgia, right at the top of the column in Freedom Square, is a glorious golden statue of St George slaying a dragon. But I haven’t heard of any dragon research programs in Georgia. Australia doesn’t have a dragon research program either, for which it has apologized to a seven-year-old girl (Canberra Times, January 8, 2014).

Sophie from Queensland, Australia, wrote to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the federal government agency for scientific research in Australia’s capital, Canberra. Sophie asked for a female dragon. “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,” she wrote.

She began her letter with “Help Lovely Scientist,” stating that her father told her all about the scientists at CSIRO. “I would call it toothless if it was a girl. And if it it a boy I would name it Stuart.” She said she would play with it every weekend. “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,” she wrote.

A CSIRO lovely scientist responded to Sophie. CSIRO has promised to step up its dragon research program, and in a light-hearted statement to the nation, it apologized for their lack of a dragon research program. “Over the past 87 odd years [since the inception of CSIRO] we have not been able to create a dragon or dragon eggs … our work has never ventured into dragons of the mythical, fire breathing variety,” said the CSIRO statement. “And for this Australia, we are sorry,” it added.

CSIRO’s reponse continued, stating that there could be many practical uses for dragons. “How much energy could it produce? Would dragon fuel be a low emissions option?” it wrote.

Sophie’s mother said Sophie was overjoyed with the CSIRO’s response and has been telling everyone dragon breath can be a new fuel. Sophie now wants to work in the CSIRO, saying that Australian scientists can do anything.

Perhaps one option in the meantime is a research program on the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard!

Martina Nicolls is the author of "The Komodo Verses: Dragon Poems."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/csiro-apologises-for-lack-of-research-on-dragons-20140108-30ggg.html#ixzz2pmyLkbT4

A Copenhagen dragon

An origami Komodo dragon

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