I've known about the TED conference for a couple years now and it's unfortunate that more peoples don't know about them. A brief history of the conference is available here. Basically a bunch of smart/talented/interesting people come together to disseminate information and to dream and share ideas. It's pretty cool. Since 2006 the TED talks have been available online for all to view. Below are a couple of my favorites.
Robert Ballard: Exploring the ocean's hidden worlds
Johnny Lee: Creating tech marvels out of a $40 Wii Remote
Blaise Aguera y Arcas: Jaw-dropping Photosynth demo