Personal life

Researchers at Brown University are putting people to sleep — in the name of research. They’re trying to determine what people dream, and what it means, by subjecting people to MRI scans as they dream, and then waking them up and asking what they were dreaming about.

A new book looks at America’s packaged and industrial food world and just what makes processed food so tempting to us. But, according to the book’s author, even despite the accessibility of processed foods, more Americans today are changing their eating habits to be healthier.

One of Charlotte’s trendy restaurants is not exactly what it seems. The not-for-profit devotes all the money it makes, after expenses, to feeding, hiring and supporting the homeless and the poor. Owner Jim Noble views it as his mission to feed these people’s stomachs, and their souls.

Often, struggling companies look for team-builders, collaborators, people who will put their ego aside to move people toward a common goal. According to British academics, that means they are more likely to hire a woman. Is that what Marissa Mayer is walking into?

In Greece, the economic downturn and debt crisis has forced an increasingly large number of people out on the street. The government shelters can’t do enough, so it’s left up to private groups. And they’re struggling to meet the burden.