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

Internet companies and civil liberty groups have voiced alarm over a proposed Italian law which would make online service providers responsible for their audiovisual content and copyright infringements by users.

Stefan Engelhart, Head of Industry Business Unit at SAP AG, talks about the challenges and opporunities represented by smart grids – an intelligent infrastructure designed to balance energy supply and demand (7m, 36secs)

A major medical landmark has been reached as stem cell technology and precision gene therapy have been successfully fused in humans for the first time. The breakthrough could lead to a cure allowing sufferers of genetic diseases to be treated with their own cells.

Google Inc argued in a staunch and eloquent brief that an agreement reached with the Authors Guild to digitise millions of books was legal and a contribution to human knowledge

A run-down court building that also houses the local casino in this Amazon jungle town is the unlikely venue for the largest environmental damages lawsuit ever tried

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