Shor feasibility shrinks dramatically

Two independent results this week — a Caltech demonstration of much lower overhead fault‑tolerance using high‑rate codes and a Google construction showing a smaller circuit for factoring (announced via a cryptographic zero‑knowledge proof) — push down resource estimates for breaking 256‑bit elliptic‑curve cryptography from millions of physical qubits to the tens of thousands range. That numeric shift doesn't change quantum computing theory, but it meaningfully shortens plausible timelines for practical cryptographic breakage and raises urgency around post‑quantum migration and disclosure policy. — If correct, these improvements compress the window for when financial, governmental, and critical‑infrastructure systems must adopt quantum‑resistant cryptography and may trigger regulatory or disclosure debates about publishing cryptographic‑breaking methods.