Many of the substances we rely on daily go unnoticed and sometimes their availability is taken for granted. Yet behind each one lies a complex history of discovery, production, and global impact. Throughout history, humans have exploited natural resources and modified their environment to enhance their quality of life, a feature that sets them apart from other forms of life. As a result, human progress has been relentless, from the invention of the wheel to the development of engines, satellites, and computers. Like engineering, inventions in chemistry have followed an upward trajectory....