Episode 154 - Technology From Pokemon Go And The Future of Genealogy / Our "Insane" Ancestors And Their Records

Host Scott Fisher and David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org, open the show. David shares experiences from his recent genealogical journey, including a visit to an ancestor's early American store, and the discovery of an unknown grave marker for one of his earliest New England ancestors. David then shares a scientist's comments on the likely cause of Mary Todd Lincoln's well-documented mental issues. (Today, it would be such a simple fix!) Fisher then mentions the recent International Slavery Remembrance Day and its significance for modern times. The guys also talk about a recent well-attended New York funeral, packed only with people who never knew the deceased. They'll explain why. David also talks about the release of a new book by CNBC financial journalist Bill Griffeth called "The Stranger In My Genes," and tells you about an upcoming appearance by the author. Finally, David has a very simple Tip of the Week that you may not have thought about.

Next, Fisher visits with the Chicago-based Founder of High Definition Genealogy, Thomas MacEntee. Thomas, like many of us, has taken notice of the Pokemon Go craze, only he sees something different. Thomas believes technology from the app could, within five years, create new applications for genealogy. Listen to the segment to hear Thomas' vision.

Genealogical speaker Jill Morelli then takes a break from her summer genealogy research trip to talk to Fisher about our ancestors who were labeled "insane." Jill reviews the evolution of how the insane were viewed and how they were dealt with, even down to today. And what about their records? She'll fill you in on where to start looking and what to expect.

Then, Tom Perry from TMCPlace.com returns to talk preservation. Tom's concerned that we aren't all where we should be as we consider family history holiday gifts. Continuing his topic from last week, Tom talks about how to sort your materials to make the project cheaper, faster, and more efficient.

That's all this week on Extreme Genes, America's Family History Show!