Resource: Evolution Impossible

Review by Cowboy Bob Sorensen
Edited 6-10-2017

From the outset, I am denying you the sweet suspense and telling you that I strongly recommend Evolution Impossible: 12 Reasons Why Evolution Cannot Explain Life on Earth, and why. Unlike atheist trolls who give one-star ratings on Amazon for things they do not read but hate anyway, I actually read the book.

My introduction to Dr. John F. Ashton was on a podcast of the radio show Crosstalk. You can read the introduction and listen to the MP3 here.


Dr. Ashton has some impressive credentials. According to Creation Conversations:

Dr. John F. Ashton PhD CChem FRACI is Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Victoria University, Melbourne, and Adjunct Professor of Applied Sciences at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, the largest Australian tertiary institution. He holds a BSc (Honors) with prize in chemistry and PhD in epistemology (a branch of philosophy dealing with the limits of knowledge), also with prize, from the University of Newcastle and an MSc in chemistry from the University of Tasmania. Dr. Ashton is a Chartered Chemist and a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. His career includes 14 years in tertiary science education and 25 years in industry mainly involved with food chemistry and related biomedical science research. Dr Ashton has served as the industry partner investigator for Australian Government co-funded research at seven Australian universities. He also served as editor of three books related to science and faith issues, including the much-cited In Six Days: Why 50 Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation.[1]
This book makes the claim that evolution is indeed impossible, and presents its argument through a number of scientific disciplines. After the introduction and the short chapter about how many people consider evolution to be a "fact" even though their "evidence" is comprised of assertions, or their claims are not supported by evidence.

Chapter 2 gives a discussion on Darwin's version of evolution. Ashton goes on to discuss the circumstances leading up to the theory as well as its promoters. Of course, this was before the incredible complexity of DNA was discovered.


Chapters 3 and 4 delve into biology, discussing why a living cell cannot arise by chance, and why random mutations cannot produce new organisms. Dr. Ashton wrote, "So what we actually observe in organisms are mechanisms to minimize mutations. These are mechanisms that minimize diversity outside of that which has been already coded for in the DNA. When mutations do occur, they often lead to disease or death of the organism. So where Darwin assumed that mutations would be nature’s way to maximize diversity for survival, which would in turn constitute the platform for evolution, we observe that, in fact, the very opposite is true." (Chapter 4).


Chapters 5 and 6 explore the geological evidences for evolution. Specifically, there are none. The fossil record is a record of extinction, and there are no transitional forms. People can run to pooling of ignorance sites such as Talk Origins and so on to try to refute these claims, but if they want to do serious research, they will need to actually read the book and then tackle the 72 supporting links in these two chapters alone.


Chapter 7 is an irritant to adherents of uniformitarianism. Instead of rock layers being laid down gradually over millions or billions of years, the evidence better supports rapid deposition during a catastrophic global flood at the time of Noah. Indeed, Ashton supports his claims by using Chapter 8 to explore the historical evidence for a worldwide flood.


Radiometric dating problems, sedimentation rates and other information in conflict with purported old Earth assertions are brought forth in Chapters 9 and 10. (It is interesting that the average evolution proponent will deny evidence against commonly accepted radiometric dating results, but most are unaware that such information even exists.) 


The "Big Bang" is shown to be a big fizzle in Chapter 11. While evolution's proponents believe that there is agreement among cosmogonists that the Big Bang caused the origin of the universe, this is not true. Not only does the Big Bang have many difficulties in itself, but there are many scientists who do not believe that it is correct.


Chapter 12 discusses scientists who reject evolution. Dr. Ashton refers to his more extensive documentation in his book In Six Days where scientists point out serious problems with evolution. This is risky, since evolutionism is the accepted orthodoxy, and they can be risking their careers by denying Darwin. For that matter, when he wrote "A Creationist's View of the Intelligent Design Debate" in the peer-reviewed journal Chemistry in Australia, some scientists were very hostile [2]. Fortunately, the truth is not a matter of popularity, nor is it changed by bullying, stalking, bigotry or trolling.


A departure occurs in Chapter 13. Here, Ashton points out that there are some things that are true but beyond the realm of science. He discusses the fulfillment of some biblical prophesies, as well as certain knowledge that is given to individuals on certain occasions. While I see what he was trying to do here, I thought that this chapter was rather weak. (Sorry, Doc, but my readers expect me to be straightforward.) Still, it was not uninteresting.

Chapter 14 is a summary of twelve evidence-based reasons to reject evolution. The best explanation for the existence of life? "When we look carefully at the geological and fossil evidence, it is very consistent with a catastrophic worldwide flood not so long ago. As to explaining how we came to be — science really has no explanation. But we do see overwhelming evidence of amazing design in every part of nature that more realistically can only have come from a super-intelligence. The creation scenario fits this evidence very well."


The Appendix gives calculations for the Flood based on the biblical record of genealogies.


Evolution Impossible is an excellent resource for honest seekers of scientific truth. It will shock some people ("I didn't know that!"). Evolutionary presuppositions are show to be unsupported, and the book reaches the logical conclusion is that life was created. A great  Edit: Shaun Tabatt interviewed Dr. Ashton. You can listen online or download the MP3 here (about 35 minutes). Addendum: The book and this review appeared in 2012. So much has happened in the last few years to devastate evolutionism, Dr. Ashton could easily do a revised version, or even a second volume.