7 Days that Transformed the World

A public lecture series sponsored by the History Department and hosted by the Hose and Hydrant Brewing Company

Tuesday, January 20th
6:00 PM

Hose and Hydrant Brewing Company
#612 11th Street E.

Geoff Cunfer — “The Day We Learned How to Feed 7 Billion People (And Kill Millions)”

In July 1909, Fritz Haber, a German chemist, synthesized ammonia in the laboratory. His method gave human beings control over the global Nitrogen cycle, and with this tool we have transformed the earth. Synthetic fertilizer production multiplied crop productivity in the twentieth century and allowed human population to increase from under 2 billion to over 7 billion. Some 80% of the nitrogen in our bodies today was created by the Haber process. The technique also became crucial to the manufacture of high explosives, just in time for World War I, dramatically increasing the killing power of twentieth century warfare.

All are welcome

Click to view the poster

For more information contact: Keith Carlson
keith.carlson@usask.ca