That has never been thought by anyone but computer scientists who never looked at a biology textbook.
To begin approximating what a lone spherical synapse would actually do you'd need to solve 2^n coupled second order differential equations where n is the number of ions used.
That is before you throw in things like neuro transmitters and the physical volume of a cell. Simulating a single neuron accurately is beyond any super computer today. The question is how inaccurately can we simulate one and still get meaningful answers.
While I'm neither a biologist nor a CS PhD, I want to call out the fallacy that simulating a system to a sufficient degree requires simulating each individual molecule in exacting detail.
We've gotten quite far with ideal gas laws without needing to simulate every particle, we used kerosene to get us to the moon without needing to simulate all the reaction species of kerosene combustion, etc.
That is before you throw in things like neuro transmitters and the physical volume of a cell. Simulating a single neuron accurately is beyond any super computer today. The question is how inaccurately can we simulate one and still get meaningful answers.
Then how we do it 100e9 more times.
source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32407028
There is interesting discussion there.