One Ancestral question leads to another....and soon you're swept up in one of the world's most popular pastimes. It has been said that, like Sherlock Homes, genealogists crave the hunt, and I am in a position to agree, since I myself have donned the deer stalker cap.

It began one fresh fall day with my niece, Johanna Krebs, asking me: "Why don't you put up a web site?"

Inspired by her, I began assembling my time capsule, with the idea of including a family tree and a few details about the present past and future. On putting it on paper, I was shocked by my ignorance.

Genealogical research is an undertaking that can start or stop at any time, but it is rarely finished, for one can never expect to find every relative.

Assuming an average of four children per union over eight generations, the numbers are daunting - beginning with two (the original couple) and expanding to four, 16, 64, 256, 1,024, 4,096, and 16,384. Total the numbers and the total is 21,846 individuals. Throw in the spouses and the total is 43,692. Subtract the original couple who have already been counted, and you're left with an awesome 43,690 for just 8 generations.

It may seem ironic that CD-ROMs and the Internet spur people's curiosity about their ancestors. The World wide Web is revolutionizing genealogy.

When I was young it did not matter who my ancestors were, I did not know I had any, but that's another story. I recently communicated with a family member via snail mail, who now slips into the murky grip of Alzheimer's, leaving me think.....Are there Aliens among us who prevent us from looking into our past?