August 2009 Issue: Secrets of the Deep

A new generation of manned submersibles will soon open up 98 percent of the world's oceans to human eyes by diving more than 20,000 feet into the ocean. Fresh energy sources, new species—who knows what we'll find in Earth's last unexplored frontier? By Abe Streep

To feed a ballooning population despite shrinking farmland, every acre will have to count. Here's the tech that will turbocharge harvests, including desert cultivation tricks, bacteria that fertilize crops, and fruit-picking robots. By Hillary Rosner

What the largest search-and-rescue training facility is teaching us about surviving catastrophe. By Lisa Taddeo

Learn from PopSci's staff photographer as he constructs an eco-friendly and affordable home. This month: solar-powered hot water. By John B. Carnett

Does red wine make you live longer? Does bacon cause cancer? We uncover what scientific studies really mean for your health. By Jason Daley