Apple stimulates brain's religious responses, claims BBC

Shown on BBC Three last night and available on iPlayer until 9 June, Secrets of the Superbrands shows tech-baffled presenter Alex Riley exploring the appeal of brands such as Nokia, Google and Microsoft. He starts the programme, and the series, with the world's biggest brand: Apple.
When asked what that person would be like if Apple was a person, answers ranged from, "spoilt... kind of snobby," to, "the sort of person who might invite you to their birthday party, but when you got there you'd be doing everything they wanted to." To investigate the cult-like following of the fruit-flavoured phone-flogger, the show gives an Apple apostle's bonce a once-over.
World of Apple blogger Alex Brooks, who's been to 30 Apple Store openings around the world, is bunged into an MRI machine to have his brain scanned for physiological responses to Apple. When shown pictures of Apple products, there's increased activity in the visual centres of his brain.
Comparing the Apple fan's brain scan with the noggin scans of religious folk, neuroscientists noticed similar effects. Apple is often described as a 'cult', complete with temples, devotees and its own messiah in the shape of St Steve of Jobs -- not to mention the hysteria and madness surrounding every new product launch.   link