Then we did it again in the 20th century with the convergence of communication and energy: Centralized electricity especially the telephone and then later radio and television became the communication vehicles to manage a more dispersed Second Industrial Revolution, organized around the oil-powered internal combustion engine, suburban construction and the creation of a mass consumer society.

FORBES: Jeremy Rifkin's Third Industrial Revolution

The twin-engine jetliner is heralded for its mostly carbon fiber construction, which reduces weight.

CNN: Dreamliner safety review: What it means for fliers

The Item Club highlights the importance of the large and diverse business services sector in being the main engine of growth, while manufacturing has stagnated and construction remains about 10% below its pre-downturn output.

BBC: Making up lost ground