Ok so we might not actually be at TED 2010, but we've done the next best thing. TED, by the way, is a huge 'ideas conference' held in California every year which attracts inspirational speakers from various disciplines and countries around the world. SHN has put together a guide to the best highlights, blogs and videos spewing out of the conference for your own benefit. TED continues until the end of Saturday, so you can catch up on everything you've missed here and use these virtual portals to keep track of what happens next, too.

The theme this year is "What the world needs now." Apart from stuff happening and love sweet love (obviously) there are a myriad of potential answers to that question. A fact realised visually by the TED 2010 homepage - scroll below the featured items illustrated with photographs and you'll see a bewildering list of every talk on offer. They all sound good, and the list is eye-wateringly huge, which is where we come in. Breaking your interest in TED into manageable chunks (i.e. hyperlinks).

Let's start with some of the top-trending TED 2010 videos. First of all, Google have created a virtual flying machine with which you can zoom around a graphical representation of the entire world (via Google Maps), swooping in and out of your desired destinations (and even underwater) with the flick of a joystick. Here's the video, listen out for the gasps of "cool" and "oh wow!" The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's explanation of how an AIDS vaccine might work is definitely worth a look, as is the full video of Jamie Oliver's acceptance speech on winning the coveted TED Prize. If you remember our analysis of his PR assault on the Americans, you'll be interested to see how Oliver's campaign has notched up notoriety and success. For more bitesized inductions to TED, it's worth checking out the BBC's vox pop of TED speakers on what they think the world really needs now. The vid that's really gone viral, though, is this one of mosquitoes being mercilessly shot down with laser beams (the fourth one from the top). Yup. The future is here.

What if you want to get a clearer idea of what happened when at TED 2010? The official programme is nicely designed, true, but for a more opinionated survey of talks and events, the two best commentators who have been posting coherent summaries of the best from each day's schedule are Brain Pickings and Boing Boing. Additionally, White African made a fantastic attempt at capturing the eclectic excitement of TED on Day 1.

It's our turn. SHN has surveyed this mass of information and reportage and come up with a top three list of potentially world-changing ideas that the confereence has given us.

1. The nuclear issue

Nuclear isn't new, but proliferation remains a serious threat to humanity. TED has dealt with atomic perils in different ways over the years but in 2010, an audience was confronted with a provocative documentary called Countdown to Zero which tries to stimulate the anti-nuclear weapons movement that has, in recent years, definitely lost its edge. We liked this because it shows TED dealing with big, politically challenging issues that have been around for a while, not just completely new innovations.

2. Exposing corruption

An interesting and very thoughtful talk by Peter Eigen, formerly director of the World Bank in Nairobi. Very relevant stuff, and not at all gimmicky, which looks at the wider social implications of corruption in general as well as the direct effects of fiscal irresponsibility. A talk inspired by personal indignation with a view to drawing attention to less fortunate parts of the world than Long Beach, California. Classic TED material.

3. Education, education, education

Teaching and education are perennial TED themes, and this year there are two fascinating talks to compare and contrast: an entertaining address by poet Taylor Mali on the value of teachers which was given at the Bowery Club in 2005 and the argument that schools kill creativity, courtesy of Sir Ken Robinson. The TED web guys have put these videos up in an effort to encourage debate on the issue in a move which follows on nicely from last year's TED speech by Bill Gates (a talking point after he released a swarm of mosquitoes on the audience. They probably would have appreciated one of those lasers).