Your tastebuds, tools of cultural influence

As one who has always believed Coke tastes better than Pepsi or other colas because it just does, this is kind of weird:

"The preference for Coke versus Pepsi is not only a matter for the tongue to decide, Samuel McClure and his colleagues have found. Brain scans of people tasting the soft drinks reveal that knowing which drink they're tasting affects their preference and activates memory-related brain regions that recall cultural influences. Thus, say the researchers, they have shown neurologically how a culturally based brand image influences a behavioral choice."

There's more. Check it out.

From The Moderate Voice via Dean's World