Extreme Genes

Episode 486: Special Edition - RootsTech and the Astounding Arrival of "Generative AI"

Host Scott Fisher returns with this commercial free special RootsTech edition of Extreme Genes. This recent RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City will forever be remembered as being the one at which Generative AI made its debut. And what a debut it was and is! Fisher visits with FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood, AmericanAncestor's David Allen Lambert, and African American Program Manager for FamilySearch Thom Reed about the impact of this remarkable new technology, how it works, and how you can put it to work for you right now!

Episode 445 - Pair of DeWitt Descendants LITERALLY Dig Up their Ancestor

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org [https://www.americanancestors.org/]. The guys begin by taking a deep breath over the crazy two part guest interview has in line for the show. A pair of eighth cousins… also eighth cousins to Fisher… who have exhumed the remains of their name line immigrant ancestor, Tjerck Claessen DeWitt, who died in 1700 in Kingston, New York, and his wife and two children. David then shares stories about the DNA Reunion Project, which seeks to reunite aging Holocaust survivors who were separated following World War II; The birthday celebration of "Papa Jake," a World War II "dam buster," who has been a hero to the British and a Tik Tok star!; The story of further conflict at the site of the former Pilgrim colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts where descendants of 17th century natives are angry. David will explain; And if you're a Scottish researcher, David has some good news for you! Then, in two parts, Fisher visits with Gage and Justin DeWitt… distant cousins to each other, and to Fisher… who have literally dug up the immigrant ancestor, Tjerck Claessen DeWitt of Kingston, New York. Hear all about the project which took place this past summer, and what they are hoping to accomplish. It's a genie-journey on steroids! David then returns for another round of Ask Us Anything. That's all this week on Extreme Genes, America's Family History Show!

Fisher's Top Tips #078

There are various types of DNA tests, but the Y-DNA test serves one particular purpose. Here's why you might want to "Y."

Fisher's Top Tips #077

It's a great thing to find an old book with loads of information. But just how trustworthy are these "sources?"

Episode 471: CLASSIC REWIND - British "Who Do You Think You Are?" Host and Researcher Learns Great Uncle was a Soviet Spy

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org [https://www.americanancestors.org/]. The guys begin with the story of a Canadian man who learned from a newspaper birth listing from the early 1950s, and DNA, that he had been switched at birth. Then, one of the oddest stories of the year… a married couple is freaking out because they learned that they share ancestors eight generations back! Then, a cannon ball has shown up at a beach in Rhode Island. You won't believe where the finder is keeping it. At Colonial Williamsburgh, a dig has revealed a remarkable new find at a spot that David has walked over countless times. And finally, Europe's oldest publication has been dated at over 2,300 years old. Next, in two parts, Fisher visits with Dr. Nick Barratt, best known in the UK for his hosting and research on four seasons of "Who Do You Think You Are?" In his own research, Nick has discovered that his paternal grandmother's brother was a spy for the Soviet Union leading up to World War II! Hear how he discovered this shocker, how it has impacted him and his immediate family, and how it has changed his understanding of how he presents information he provides to others. Then, David returns for another couple of rounds of Ask Us Anything. That's all this week on Extreme Genes, America's Family History Show!