Inventors often solve some of the world’s biggest problems, but sometimes it takes decades to unearth the unintended consequences of the original invention. In the second half of the twentieth century, the remarkable feat of converting nitrogen gas into synthetic fertilizers changed the world. This “Green Revolution” tripled staple-crop production while only increasing land use by 30%, reducing world poverty, and lowering food prices. Only decades later are we encountering its unintended consequence. Today, we’re shining a spotlight on the inventors that are improving and restoring our planet’s food-production potential, starting with one of the three minerals keeping all of agriculture afloat: nitrogen.