Quantum computing bombshells that are not April Fools
Summary
Scott Aaronson reports two recent quantum computing announcements: a fault-tolerance advance with high-rate codes and a lower-overhead Shor’s algorithm implementation, including a cryptanalysis of 256-bit elliptic-curve cryptography. While not overturning QC principles, these results alter the practical timelines and capabilities, accelerating moves toward quantum-resistant cryptography and prompting consideration of publish-and-disclose strategies.