The speed of light is approximately.3 X 10^8 m. Per sec in a vacuum. It's about half as fast in a semiconductor like silicon. So closer to 6 inches. Nearly all chips are less than one inch. Even if this were not the case, that would not be an upper limit, data does not have to reach the end of the chip before the next clock cycle. This is an example of the author having a bit of knowledge ( erroneous, as you point out) and extrapolating an incorrect answer.
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The speed of light is approximately .3 X 10^8 m. Per sec in a vacuum. It's about half as fast in a semiconductor like silicon. So closer to 6 inches. Nearly all chips are less than one inch. Even if this were not the case, that would not be an upper limit, data does not have to reach the end of the chip before the next clock cycle. This is an example of the author having a bit of knowledge ( erroneous, as you point out) and extrapolating an incorrect answer.