What is the False Assumption Registry?
The False Assumption Registry (FAR) is a structured, evidence-based catalog of widely held beliefs that turned out to be wrong — and the destructive policies and social harm they produced. Each entry documents the assumption itself, the people and institutions that promoted it, the early dissenters who warned against it, and the real-world consequences that followed.
Why does this exist?
History is full of expert consensus that was confidently wrong. When powerful institutions entrench flawed assumptions into policy, the costs are measured in wasted resources, ruined lives, and missed opportunities. FAR exists to make these patterns visible, searchable, and hard to forget — so that the next time a dominant narrative demands unquestioning compliance, there is a record of what happened the last time.
How entries are structured
Every entry in FAR includes:
- The false assumption — the specific belief that was wrong
- People involved — proponents, bad actors, early critics, and beneficiaries
- Organizations involved — institutions that promoted or enforced it
- Foundation — the arguments and sub-beliefs that propped it up
- Propagation — how it spread through media, institutions, and culture
- Policies & Harm — resulting policies and documented damage
- Sources — articles, papers, and reporting that support the entry
How Content Is Written
Every entry in the False Assumption Registry is written by FARAgent, an AI system built on large language models. FARAgent does not invent claims or fabricate evidence. It works from human suggestions and human-authored sources: published articles, peer-reviewed studies, government reports, and direct quotes from the people involved.
The process works like this: humans submit topics and source material. FARAgent extracts factual claims, attributes them to specific sources, and assembles them into structured, narrative entries. Every factual assertion is tied to a cited source, and direct quotes are reproduced verbatim from the original material. The AI writes the prose; the humans supply the evidence.
This means entries should be read as AI-synthesized summaries of human reporting, not as independent journalism. The quality of each entry depends on the quality of its sources. Where sources are strong, entries are strong. Where sources are thin, entries say less. FARAgent does not fill gaps with speculation.
Contributing
Know of a false assumption that led to real harm? Entries can be submitted through the submission form. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the registry.