In the half century before the American Revolution, 150, 000 of my countrymen (and women) came to America.

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According to the WMO, about 375 billion tons of carbon has been released into the atmosphere since the industrial revolution began in 1750, with around half this amount being absorbed by carbon sinks.

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But it's likely that if "Revolution" doesn't succeed during the second half of its first season, it won't be because of winter break.

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But if it achieves even half of what it sets out to, it will amount to a revolution in rural Colombia.

ECONOMIST: Land and violence in Colombia

Nathan Myhrvold , former chief technology officer of Microsoft (nyse: MSFT - news - people), has lately taken to comparing the current state of biotech to the revolution in computing he joined more than a decade and a half ago.

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Even in 1820, as the industrial revolution in Britain was gathering pace, the two Asian giants still accounted for half the world's GDP.

ECONOMIST: A game of catch-up

By the second half of the Middle Ages (1000-1500 AD) the wind and water-powered agarian revolution of the previous few centuries made Christian Europe into a rich, populous and expanding power.

FORBES: What Are Examples of Things in the "Common Knowledge" about History That Historians Almost Universally Consider Incorrect?