To infinity and beyond!
It’s our country’s 50th birthday and we’re absolutely ecstatic. Concerts all around the island, celebrations throughout the year, even Sentosa has declared its doors open free-of-charge for the year on this momentous occasion.
Yet all we do is look back. Sure, we’ve come a long way and it’s always nice to look back in history, but I think society has gone a tad bit overboard on the sentimentality and nostalgia. We’ve got a bright and shimmering future so lets embrace it! Let this article serve as your crystal ball as you gaze into the future, 50 years from now…
1. Super complicated MRT map
SMRT seems to have a penchant for digging tunnels and expanding the network without actually fixing the current one. Which is great for us I guess, because whenever the train line fails, we’ll have 8473 other routes to take.
2. Jack Neo releases “Ah Boys to Ah Gong”
Jack Neo is back, never missing a chance to cash in on local tropes and stories you’ve heard 1000 times from your friends and family. This time the cast from Ah Boys to Men will come together once again to collect their CPF payout! Watch as everyone’s favourite Lobang King gambles and sends money to his Chinese mistress while his wife struggles to to pay for her medical bills.
The gang decides to band together to save Lobang King from his predicament and many lessons of family values and frugality are learnt on the way as Lobang King recovers from the shambles of his life. A guaranteed Oscar and 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes awaits.
3. The Space Programme
Ah the final frontier! In 50 years Singapore will become yet another hub, this time for space travel. The newly announced Singapore Spaceport will propel tourists and scientists alike on an epic journey into the cosmos, from right here on this island. Now if only the LTA could find a way to place some ERP gantries in space…
4. Next Generation Transport
Tired of getting stuck in traffic? Well hopefully by 2065, that will be a distant nightmare. New generation transports are currently being developed to transport the people of the future!
These transports will travel above roads and highways and could possibly eliminate the rush hour jams. Don’t worry, I’m sure SMRT will still implement reserve seats in the cabins when we turn old.
5. Underground/ underwater Living
Move over Atlantis, because underwater cities are coming back in vogue. High density countries like Japan and Singapore actually have plans to build such cities! An NTU professor has actually argued that it really isn’t far fetched and completely achievable. Finally! I might be able to live my Little Mermaid inspired underwater fantasies.
6. Controlled weather in Singapore
As far as we know, the government isn’t actively researching a weather control machine, but the US air force has allegedly already done so. The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) was launched by the US air force to observe the Earth’s upper atmosphere. The facility had the potential to utilize electromagnetic waves to induce weather changes although the specifics are “classified”.
The programme has been recently shut down after much controversy. Clearly, we’re not at a point where we’re knowledgeable enough about weather manipulation, but it might just be a matter of time! Wouldn’t it be amazing to walk out your house one day to see snow falling from the sky?
7. Robot Army
The SAF is heavily invested in the latest and deadliest in military hardware. In fact Singapore ranks as one of the biggest spenders in the ground robot industry! While the robots now serve as recon drones or bomb dispersal units, robots designed for direct combat will be an inevitability. Just imagine, instead of maids carrying our field packs we can get robots to do it instead!
8. USS expands into an awesome theme park
With plans to increase tourist numbers in the upcoming years, it wouldn’t be a surprise if USS decides to expand even more and add in some really cool attractions. They already have some pretty cool properties under them like The Simpsons and Harry Potter, so it might not be long before you’re sipping Butterbeer in Sentosa.
9. Wheeler’s yard becomes national heritage site
After years of hipsters posing for pictures in front of those giant blue doors, they will finally move on to something new. Desperate to stay alive and relevant to a new generation of hipsters, they will apply to be a National Heritage Site so the nostalgia addicted youth will flock to its doors once again.
For more information on Wheeler’s Yard check out our guide here.
10. Mediacorp might finally make something worth our time
Oh who am I kidding, as bright as the future is, this probably isn’t going to happen.