"An increase in land plant abundance may have occurred at the time just before the period known as the Cambrian Explosion, when the next Snowball Earth period failed to occur because temperatures did not get cold enough, " he added.

BBC: Earth AP

But it is worth bearing in mind that the mutual-fund explosion has occurred during a period when stockmarkets have been climbing fast.

ECONOMIST: Performance is all, or is it?

The period of Republican dominance has coincided with a huge explosion in lobbying: since 1994 the number of registered lobbyists has risen almost fourfold, to 36, 000.

ECONOMIST: Republican woes

If current pay practices are compared with those of the recent past, then the option explosion may be the most beneficial change in corporate policies in the post-war period.

ECONOMIST: No soft option

On the other hand, that explosion of paparazzi flashbulbs and television cameras reminds one not just of the inevitable public interest but also that the adjustment period after a prison sentence is very difficult.

BBC: Breakfast with Frost