Retailers who leverage learnings from an online world, use their space creatively, stay unique and editorial, and empower their employees to make better experience for their customers will have the edge in this new retail world.

FORBES: To Beat Showrooming, Retailers Must Think Outside The Box

As early as 2001, UNESCO and the European Space Agency initiated the Open Initiative on the Use of Space Technologies to Support the World Heritage Convention and set up a large network of UNESCO space partners.

UNESCO: Detailview | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

But so far, few changes have been implemented on the ground or in space, said Brian Weeden, a technical adviser with the Secure World Foundation, an organization dedicated to the peaceful use of outer space.

MSN: Space Junk Hazards Force International Response

This exhibition illustrates the use of Earth observation from space to assess the effects of climate change on famous World Heritage sites.

UNESCO: NATURAL SCIENCES

Projects are underway to use 3D graphics techniques to enable multiple users to share the same space in a virtual world.

FORBES: Reshaping Reality

All told, over 2 million square meters of office space was taken out of use, including 1.2 million destroyed at the World Trade Center.

FORBES: Rubbing elbows

Many firms and educators were starting to use Second Life as an online collaboration space that helps them work together like they do in the real world but to which is added the malleability of a wholly digital space.

BBC: NEWS | Technology | A very real future for virtual worlds