Several of the champions of the new economy are firms that were once hailed as plucky little start-ups but have long since grown huge, such as Apple, Google and Facebook. (In August Apple was the world's largest listed company by market capitalisation.) American firms with 5, 000 or more people spend more than twice as much per worker on research and development as those with 100-500.

ECONOMIST: Why large firms are often more inventive than small ones

So you put this simulated worker on to market research.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Research work by Mr Metcalfe and his co-worker established that they could swap far more data far faster than over the Hawaiian network.

BBC: Original Ethernet diagram, 3Com

In 1870, according to research from Michael Cox and Richard Alm, the average worker worked 3, 069 hours a year.

FORBES: Capitalism In No Way Created Poverty, It Inherited It

In the next few years, wage and benefits will increase 15% to 20% per worker at the average Chinese factory, according to the research.

FORBES: A Changing Chinese Economy Can Aid American Manufacturing