Well I think it's an interesting idea, and to add to that, the "-1" values would correspond to an inhibitory neuron! What neurons can do though is integrate ov

Well I think it's an interesting idea, and to add to that, the "-1" values would correspond to an inhibitory neuron! What neurons can do though is integrate over time, so your output can be one spike, or 3 spikes very quick, same for your input, and maybe 10 quick spikes in a row is a more powerful signal than a lone spike. We know this intuitively, though, via vision, we don't see in mac-classic style black/white images, we see shades of brightness and color, indicating that at least our optic nerve is sending what amounts to an analog signal (even if encoded as binary spikes - is the spike timing not analog?) This is not to mention all the biochemical signaling that happens, and the multitude of local neurotransmitters and global physiological/hormonal factors at play. And all that weird stuff like glial cells and astrocytes is there in the mix too.