Laura J. Snyder is a historian, philosopher and writer. She is a Fulbright Scholar, Life Member of Clare Hall (Cambridge University), and professor of philosophy at St. John's University in New York City. Snyder is the author of "Eye of the Beholder: Johannes Vermeer, Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek and the Reinvention of Seeing," as well as "The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends who Transformed Science and Changed the World," which was an official selection of the TED Book Club, a Scientific American Notable Book, and winner of the Royal Institution of Australia's 2011 poll for Best Science Book. She is also the author of "Reforming Philosophy: A Victorian Debate on Science and Society." She writes for The Wall Street Journal and other publications. Her TED Talk on the Philosophical Breakfast Club has been viewed over one million times. Watch it here: http://on.ted.com/i074p