Code Breaking Wall Street

Code Breaking Wall Street

Twenty-nine Navajo men helped change the course of World War II...

With forces spread around the world, radio communication was essential. But both sides knew how to intercept each other's messages.

To keep the Allies from learning about its plans, Germany invented the Enigma cipher machine to automatically create a nearly unbreakable code.

In the U.S., the Marines turned to the Navajos.

It was a safe bet that no one in Germany or Japan spoke Navajo... even if they'd considered trying.

So this group created a new code by translating letters and special terms from English into the Navajo language.

For example, the word "victor" represented the letter "V" and was translated as "a-keh-di-glini" in Navajo. And a "submarine" was an "iron fish," or "besh-lo."

Using this code, Navajo teams could safely transmit messages around the globe. And while the Allies did crack the Enigma code... nobody figured out the Navajos'.

Major Howard Connor, a signal officer of the Navajos, boasted that, "Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would have never taken Iwo Jima."

You might not realize it, but codes are part of our daily lives today. Google Cloud and Apple's iCloud both encrypt folks' data... And WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption to allow nearly 3 billion users to send secure messages.

If you're an investor nowadays, it probably feels like the pros are all using some secret code to get ahead in the market.

That's where my friend and 50-year Wall Street veteran Marc Chaikin comes in...

Marc built a set of quantitative tools specifically to help individual investors "crack" the market. He calls it the "Power Gauge."

The Power Gauge looks at 20 quantitative factors, covering everything from price performance... to fundamentals... to insider buying trends... to expert consensus. It helps you see which stocks are good buys and which ones you should probably avoid. With the Power Gauge, you have access to key data that lets you compete with the pros.

And next Wednesday, Marc is unveiling a new addition to his Power Gauge system. It allows you to see which companies using AI and other tech innovations could double your money... before you get in.

Click here to reserve your spot today.

Now let's get right into this week's Q&A... And as always, keep sending your comments, questions, and topic suggestions to feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com. My team and I read every e-mail.

Are Health-Tracking Devices Safe to Wear at Night?

Q: Hi Doc. I love your health advice. It's science based and I always feel comfortable in knowing it is sound. In reading today's question about electric toothbrushes and microwaves, I thought I'd ask about something I have been wondering about. I have an Apple watch, which I like for the information it gives me about steps and movement, etc, and I often wear it at night because I find the data it gives on my sleep cycles is interesting. I have friends who have told me (scornfully) that they wouldn't "wear" a device at all, and others who have told me I should at least not wear it at night. Sometimes I find people go far enough with their cautions that I find it best to just tune them out, but I would appreciate your advice on this if it isn't a question you've addressed recently.

Thanks very much. – P.W.

A: Thanks for your question and readership, P.W. I'm a big fan of health trackers and have tested many over the years – from wrist devices like Whoop and the Apple Watch to smaller wearables like the Oura smart ring. (The latter is my favorite, thanks to its compact size, long battery life, and comfortable fit on my finger.)

If you need to track your sleep, these kinds of devices can provide you with important information. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved two of the biggest smartwatch brands – Samsung and Apple – to detect obstructive sleep apnea ("OSA").

OSA causes your breathing to stop for several seconds at a time while you sleep, which can put a damper on sleep quality. Studies show that untreated sleep apnea is linked to major health problems like heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes. Catching it early is important, and smartwatches offer a convenient way to do that.

With that said, I don't wear my Apple Watch to bed because it doesn't hold enough of a charge to last through the night. Also, the sensor lights on the underside of the Whoop or Apple Watch can disrupt my sleep if I have my arm positioned at the wrong angle while in slumber. I instead opt for the Oura ring, as its light sensors aren't as bright as the smartwatches, so it won't wake me up.

Other than the potential for sleep disruption from light pollution, there's no research supporting any adverse health effects from wearing these kinds of gadgets while you sleep. They emit very low-radio-frequency radiation, which tests show isn't enough to harm you. But if I see reliable research to the contrary, you can trust you'll hear about it in Health & Wealth Bulletin.

What We're Reading...

Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,

Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
June 20, 2025