Since Plato’s Republic, man has wrestled in the political arena, concealing various daggers behind many cloaks. The New Economy investigates

The next stage in the evolution of the internet is going to be one of improved communication protocols and wireless connectivity and companies are investing heavily in research

Flikr founder Stewart Butterfield on continuing to innovate (1min, 36secs)

The diamond industry, under scrutiny after supermodel Naomi Campbell’s war crimes testimony and a crisis in Zimbabwe, must take decisive measures to avoid a potential return of conflict diamonds, campaigners say

Autism gene may be related to one of society’s greatest killer

Sixth Sense, a wearable device that enables new interactions between the real world and the world of data

Amid the flat, wide fields of central France, a team of re-trained secretaries and IT experts is packaging Europe’s literary heritage for the digital era

The Chinese art bubble has burst. Long live Chinese art! Or so seems to be the refrain of artists and galleries in China, where prices are sagging after a decade when the country’s contemporary paintings were the hottest segment of a booming global art market

Berlin’s film business is booming, with low production costs, generous subsidies and cultural cachet attracting some of the world’s top filmmakers scouring for funds in the wake of the crisis

Two million euros in three months: that’s the cost so far for Vienna’s Albertina Museum, home to landmark Impressionist works by Monet and Renoir, as the financial crisis pulled some of its most generous sponsors

Even a “living goddess” is sometimes faced with tough decisions

Despite the success of Berlin’s burgeoning film industry, many forums for alternative culture are facing eviction from quirky historical properties which property developers want to transform into luxury flats, hotels and boutiques