There are many ways to simulate a neuron. Traditional simulators attempt to solve the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equation on various geometries. A more advanced approach uses finite elements and volumes to capture the effects of fields, fluid flow, and mechanical forces. An even more detailed approach involves tracking the motions of individual molecules in an effort to understand the interactions between the membrane and the cytoskeleton. The latter approach, while computationally intensive, generates spectacular results, for example one can model the filopodia on an axon growth cone (and equivalently, the filopodia called "dendritic spines" that are stabilized by synapses and nearby astrocytes). At one level, seeing is believing, but at another, doing is the real proof.