[rbanffy]

> On current hardware can only implement but a poor caricature of a real neuron.

We don't need a complete physiological model for it to be useful. We don't need a perfectly accurate silicon-based mirror of a mammalian brain to outsmart ours on every task we do (and many we don't even realize we could). The challenge will be to coexist and cooperate with these completely alien intelligences that share almost nothing with ours.

[data_maan]

I agree with your comment (but the OP point was not about which approximate model might still work)