Lost has also found a warm welcome online, where it has been the subject of several dedicated fan sites and a pair of nifty alternate-reality games (ARGs) put forth by ABC.

The CSIRO says the scientists there are used to printing anatomically correct insects, biomedical implants and aerospace parts, so they thought a dragon was possible.

“They’re selling authenticity and realism, ” said Coop, a thick man with a Boston accent; he looks not unlike one of the muscled space marines in Gears of War, a popular sci-fi video game.