Sounds like she is partial author of the current turmoil.
In no particular order:
Yes!
I see no mention of CPU speed. I'm guessing it wouldn't be that great.
Yes, there are other limits to computing.
Specifically the energy/time version of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. At the limit of observability, if you reduce the energy, then you increase the time. So, measurable low-energy operations are going to take a relatively long time to complete.
Chemical reactions have a sort of random-ness to them that electricity through a wire can't duplicate.
I think the word you might be actually looking for is "chaos". Apparently, disorder is essential to the brain's ability to transmit information and solve problems.
"Life begins when you can spend your spare time programming instead of watching television." -- Cal Keegan