Why is the timeline to quantum-proof everything constantly shrinking?

Recent research from CalTech, Oratomic, Google and others suggests that improvements in quantum hardware and algorithms could reduce the number of qubits required to break widely used public-key cryptography (potentially to ~10,000 qubits), prompting companies like Google to accelerate adoption of post-quantum encryption. The article highlights risks such as "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks and particular challenges for immutable blockchain systems, while noting skepticism about the immediacy of a widespread quantum-enabled attack; no active exploitation is reported.