The analog digital hybrid: The human brain

I can't say that this surprises me much, and I can't say that "Contrary to popular belief" is all that accurate either... but in any case here it is:

"New Haven, Conn.--Contrary to popular belief, brain cells use a mix of analog and digital coding at the same time to communicate efficiently, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers published this week in Nature.

This finding partially overturns a longstanding belief that each of the brain's 100 billion neurons communicate strictly by a digital code. Analog systems represent signals continuously, while digital systems represent signals in the timing of pulses. Traditionally, many human-designed circuits operate exclusively in analog or in digital modes."