CFAR

CFAR is an acronym used in multiple contexts, and its meaning depends on the field. It is commonly associated with the Center for Applied Rationality, a nonprofit organization that provides training in rational thinking, and with Constant False Alarm Rate, a class of adaptive detection algorithms used in radar and related signal-processing applications.

Center for Applied Rationality: The Center for Applied Rationality (CFAR) is a nonprofit organization that offers workshops and programs aimed at improving rational thinking and decision making. Its training covers topics such as cognitive biases, probabilistic reasoning, decision theory, and effective communication. Programs are designed for individuals in academic, professional, and personal contexts and are delivered through intensive in-person seminars in the San Francisco Bay Area and via online formats. CFAR positions its work within the broader rationalist community and emphasizes practical applications of rational methods to everyday life and complex problems.

Constant False Alarm Rate: In radar, sonar, and other sensing systems, CFAR refers to a family of adaptive detection algorithms that maintain a roughly constant false alarm rate despite changing background clutter. The approach typically estimates the local noise or clutter level from surrounding reference observations and adjusts the detection threshold accordingly. Variants include CA-CFAR (cell-averaging), GO-CFAR (greatest-of), and OS-CFAR (ordered statistics). CFAR techniques are widely used to improve target detection performance in varying environments.