Will the work of genealogy ever be completed? There are an estimated 100 billion people who have ever lived on the Earth. In 1998 there were 13 billion names in the largest genealogical database. Supposing, perhaps optimistically, that by 2008 this has increased to 20 billion names, 1 in every 5 people who have ever lived on the Earth are accounted for. How much farther can computers and existing records take us? Where will future data emerge to help us track down the other 4/5ths of the Earths inhabitants? How can we ever hope to track down those who lived in societies without records, or societies of which we have no knowledge? Perhaps the answer is in our genes. Is it possible to study genetics and infer ancestors that must have existed? For this, I have no answer, merely conjecture.
1 comment:
That would probably be better than making up ancestors, but not as fun. My great great great grandpa Benji had a three legged dog named Jonas.
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