American cryptologist Elizebeth Smith Friedman cracked codes during World War I, Prohibition, and World War II — but her accomplishments weren’t revealed until after her death.For decades, the United States had a secret weapon. During World War I, World War II, and Prohibition, the country frequently turned to a talented codebreaker named Elizebeth Smith Friedman to crack enemy ciphers and rumrunners’ secret codes alike. Gifted with the ability to notice patterns that others missed, Friedman became one of the first American codebreakers during World War I.

The state's legalization of psilocybin is a historic breakthrough for advocates of alternative treatments, but don't expect it to go the way of recreational cannabis anytime soon.Wikimedia CommonsOregon became the first state to legalize the use of psilocybin, the chemical compound in “magic” mushrooms, for therapy treatment. Even as the final results of the presidential race still hung in the air, Oregon became the first state to legalize “magic” mushrooms after the majority of residents voted in favor of the law.

The calls helped otherwise-isolated parrots create social bonds, boosting their confidence and making them calmer.Matthew Modoono/Northeastern UniversityParrots involved in the study saw improved emotional health and even picked up new skills. Countless people around the world love making video calls — dialing up a loved one, seeing their face, and hearing their news. And according to a new study from Northeastern University, in collaboration with researchers from MIT and the University of Glasgow, parrots like making video calls too.

Source: Huffington Post The world mourned this Sunday when the media reported that actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his New York City apartment. Although police have yet to release the autopsy report, due to the circumstances in which he was found, Hoffman is thought to have died from a fatal heroin overdose at the age of 46. Source: LA Times Despite the mourning that has marked the wake of Hoffman’s death, friends, fans and family members may find solace in the rich legacy he’s left behind, much of it caught on film.

In 1953, Immigration and Naturalization Service's commissioner Argyle Mackey said that "the human tide of 'wetbacks'" was the "most serious enforcement problem of the Service."Dean/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesIllegal immigrants being escorted back across the border to Mexico. 1955. While the United States has enacted many dubious policies in its 241-year history, few were as explicitly so as the 1954 law enforcement initiative known as Operation Wetback. Today, there is much talk of mass illegal immigration along the Mexican-American border, but far from being a new phenomenon, the Mexican-American border has always been a porous entity, with vast numbers of people passing through at all times, legally and illegally.