Bali Sunrise

 

Photo by Patrick Jones. Bali, 25 Oct 2013.

This sunrise photo of a fisherman and child I've shared before, after returning from a conference in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia in October 2013. In a few weeks I'll be back in the same spot, as our October meeting will be there.

2026 Ancestry Origins Coming Soon

Ancestry Blog. 24 Sept 2026.

Ancestry teased the upcoming release of the 2026 AncestryDNA update in a blog published earlier today. The update includes SideView 2.0, a larger reference panel, and new region assignment algorithm. There will be new regional and cultural specificity for Mexico and Central America, which is very exciting for my Mom's side of the tree. There may also be ancestral journeys by grandparents included in the release.

The new update is likely to launch in early October, perhaps in the next two weeks.

RootsTech 2027 registration is open

Registration is now open for RootsTech 2027, the world's largest family history conference. RootsTech will be at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, 4-6 March 2027. Online registration is free! In person registration is $99 for a three day pass or $69 a day for individual days. While I wasn't selected as a speaker for RootsTech, I'll be going in person.

From past experience and knowing how schedules for large events come together, it will be a few months before the session schedule is released. Even if you follow online, there's always a ton of great talks and new information. For those going in person (see my posts from RootsTech 2025, here and here), RootsTech is an amazing event. 

What's in a Name

A helpful new video on YouTube from the International Institute of Genealogical Studies titled Irish Research: What's in a Name by Samantha John. The video is 22 minutes long, and provides some practical guidance on dealing with name changes across Irish, English and Latin in researching families in Ireland. I'm finding these tips really useful as I continue the dive through the Irish records on my branches in Roscommon and Longford. 

DNA in the news: History by a Hair

There's a new book out today on the DNA analysis of Thomas Jefferson's hair, definitively linking him to the children of his slave, Sally Hemings. The book is called History by a Hair, from Smithsonian scholar Richard Kurin. See this article in the New Yorker (21 Sept 2026) titled the Lost Descendants of Thomas Jefferson, and this one from NPR today.

The connection between Jefferson and Hemings is not new, going back to when Jefferson was alive. I am interested in the genetics, DNA analysis, and the subject is timely and fascinating.