On Saturday, February 14, the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) will host two virtual presentations and an online social at their monthly meeting.
9:00 a.m. ET
Exploring Pictures with AI: the Good and the Bad by Paul Cripwell
You’ve acquired a picture of an object, scene, or ancestor but have no idea of its location or timeframe. How do you find out? Ask AI! That seems to be the answer to everything these days. But how do you know if the information you get back is accurate? Paul Cripwell will walk you through the explorations he conducted on some of his own pictures — what AI got right, what it got wrong, and how he figured it out.
10:00 – 11:30 a.m. ET
Rain-Soaked Roots: Weather Shaped the Lives of Our British Isles Ancestors
by John Reid
Weather touched every part of our ancestors’ lives — from daily chores under rainy skies to celebrations on sunny summer days, from mild seasons that brought good harvests to the storms that forced people to adapt or move on. This talk explores how both ordinary and extreme weather shaped life across the UK, Ireland and beyond. Drawing on official records, newspapers, and personal diaries, John will trace how weather influenced work, health, migration, and memory, revealing a layer of family history often overlooked.
After the presentations, BIFHSGO will invite attendees to turn on their video and microphone for an online social.
