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By Andy Lee You never know what kind of controversy you can dig up with an offhanded comment. So today, we’re going to tackle one that I made while filming a video about DNA and Ethnicity. If you've attended my workshops or watched my DNA videos on YouTube, you've heard me say "DNA doesn't lie, but it doesn't tell the truth." One would think that is the most controversial topic, but not so. Here's the controversial question: Is Finland part of Scandinavia? HOW. DARE. I! Let's face some facts: First, Finns have DNA.  Second, Finns have different DNA from most other Europeans.  So, what's the problem? Thinking back to the earliest point in my life when Finland was included as part of Scandinavia was with the game RISK!  If Parker's Brothers Say It's True....  That’s right, the board game that has been around for generations where you take over the world. Looking at the board, we can clearly see that Parker Brothers considers Finland to be par

Do you ever encounter research that someone else has done on a new-to-you ancestor? Chances are you have. Before you start attaching all of that research to your tree - STOP, and Peer Review When you come across another genealogist’s research, you should review what they discovered to ensure that it’s accurate. Genealogists can make mistakes, even on famous people. In 2015, Megan Smolenyak a noted genealogist who has appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? and Finding Your Roots discovered a mistake on Hillary Clinton’s family tree .  The short version of the story is two children of the same name were born in Pennsylvania in the 1880s became confused as Hillary Clinton’s grandmother. If a celebrity's family lines can have flaws, so can ours. The best thing that you can do as you climb your family tree is peer-review of what has already been discovered. Peer-review is a common practice in many sciences.  Scientists will review each other's research before publication to identif

Reader Question: Where should I put the photos in my writing? Should I put the images next to the paragraph I wrote? Should I put them at the end of a chapter? Or should I put all the photos in a photo section?  ~ Robert Murphy, PA Thanks, Robert. Great question.  Having written over 120 drafts of my ancestor's life histories and publishing numerous scrapbooks and family journals, I suggest the following: Keep it Simple Keep Photos Close the "The Action" I would avoid creating a 'photo section' at the end of a chapter or an entire book. Think about a history textbook, not that we're striving to write in that length (or boring fashion), but picture a history textbook or any non-fiction book written for children. Where are the pictures of the airplanes, political leaders, or animals? They are placed beside next to the subjects of the paragraphs. Children would rarely turn to the back of a book to find a photo section or even the end of the chapter. They want a

Do you ever wish your kids were more interested in family history? Do you think, they'll probably enjoy learning about some of the intriguing and fascinating ancestors more than 'boring farmer'? Do your children not show an active interest in genealogy? I feel strongly that: Think of the music that your parents shared with you from their growing up years. I know almost all the songs from musicals (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Singing in the Rain, and South Pacific) thanks to my mother. I also am familiar with the music of Elvis, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, and The Blood, Sweat, and Tears thanks to my mother. Why? I was interested in my mom and therefore interested in her past. I am not an OSU Buckeye Fan, however I was interested in my mother so I learned a lot about the Buckeyes. (Still not a fan, but I can appreciate Brutus). So, step one - get your children interested in you and your past. If you're a grandparent,    get your grandchildren interested in you. Ge

SYNTHPOPALOOZA asked in our post  Our Surname Tables for DNA Research What do you do in the case of first cousins marrying each other? This happens three times in my tree, and in one case (my father's father's line) both my 2nd great-grandparents have the same last name, Hurst. They share the same grandparents. How do you chart that? Great question. I have some suggestions but before we jump into answering that question, if you want step-by-step instructions on how to create a surname table, this video should help. Back to the actual question of charting when cousins marry each other. What you are describing is tree collapse. BOY, oh Boy, will your DNA become very confusing. Your cousin matches might suggest someone is more closely related to you than they actually are when you map our your family tree using documents. The more occurrences of tree collapse you encounter, the more confusing your research becomes, as you well know. I do not envy your situation. However, here'