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User:John J. Bulten/John F. Ashton

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For other people with the same name, see John Ashton (disambiguation).
John F. Ashton
John F. Ashton
Born1944
Known forReligion, food science, and environmental hazards
Scientific career
FieldsFood science
InstitutionsSanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company

John Frederick Ashton, FRACI (born 1947), is an Australian food scientist, young-earth creationist, author, and advocate of the health benefits of chocolate.

Biography

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Ashton was born in 1947.[citation needed] His full name is John Frederick Ashton.[1] Ashton has bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry from the University of Newcastle and the University of Tasmania, respectively. He has a doctorate in epistemology (a branch of philosophy dealing with the limits of knowledge) from the University of Newcastle.[2]

In 2000, Ashton was appointed the strategic research manager for Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company, an iconic Australian food company owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[2] Ashton was elected a Chartered[citation needed] Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute in 1992,[3] and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology in 2006.[2]

In academia, Ashton has been named an Adjunct Professor and Associate Professor at RMIT University,[4][5] an Adjunct Associate Professor at Victoria University,[6] an Honourary Associate at the University of Sydney,[7] and a principal food research scientist at the University of Newcastle,[8] and has also had roles at Deakin University and University of Wollongong.[2]

He and his wife Colleen live in New South Wales, Australia, with their four children.[9] He is a member of the Hillview Seventh-day Adventist Church in Morisset, New South Wales.[6]

Views

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Ashton believes in young-earth creationism, the belief "in a literal six-day biblical creation as the origin of life on earth" that "is probably less than 10,000 years old".[10] The official Seventh-day Adventist Church theology also supports the literal interpretation of a six-day creation.[11] These views are rejected by the scientific community,[12] and Ashton has "received harsh criticism from the scientific community" due to his support of intelligent design.[13]

Ashton published his views in a series of books between 1998 and 2006, many of which attracted negative responses from scientists.[improper synthesis?][14] Ashton edited In Six Days: Why 50 Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation, an anthology of the belief statements of creationist scientists, engineers, and medical professionals.[10] Australian biological anthropologist Colin Groves criticised the book as an abandonment of science in favour of "sheerest pseudoscience" in his review.[15] Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins wrote of it, "I would not have believed such wishful thinking and self-deception possible."[16] Some Christian reviewers interpreted the book as refuting the scientific consensus argument for evolution.[17] Ashton followed up with similar books including Unwrapping the Pharaohs: How Egyptian Archaeology Confirms the Biblical Timeline and The Big Argument: Does God Exist?

The Perils of Progress was authored by Ashton and Ronald S. Laura (with foreword by Charles Birch), discussing topics such as electromagnetic fields, sunscreen, food additives, fluoridated water, sound pollution and sick building syndrome.[18][19] Publishers Weekly described it as "thoroughgoing neo-Luddism".[20] Colin Keay described the book as "pandering to paranoias about our lifestyle, alarming hypochondriacs and suggesting conspiracy theories that conceal deadly hazards from those of us silly enough to enjoy our high standard of living."[21] Suggestions by Ashton and Laura led (after independent studies at the Australian Radiation Laboratories) to the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council issuing a health warning for some artificial lights.[22]

Ashton's book A Chocolate a Day, coauthored with his daughter-in-law Suzy Ashton, advocates that chocolate is a good source of various beneficial nutrients.[8][23] Because chocolate is high in phenylethylamine, Ashton also believes chocolate may help people fall in love.[24] His followup book, The Chocolate Diet, coauthored with Victoria University biomedical science professor Lily Stojanovska,[25] recommends a weight-loss diet including no more than 10 to 20 grams of chocolate per day.[26]

Bibliography

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Books
  • Ashton, John F. (1977). Some Aspects of the Solution Chemistry of Titanium (III). 151 pages. University of Tasmania Department of Chemistry. OCLC 224975068.
  • Ashton, John; Laura, R. S. (1993). 101 Vital Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle: the perfect, easy-to-understand guide to all you should know about vitamins, minerals, exercise, health, and wellbeing. Pymble, New South Wales: Angus & Robertson. ISBN 9780207181382. OCLC 38325511.
  • Ashton, John; Laura, R. S. (1997). The Life Enhancement Handbook. East Roseville, New South Wales: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780731806089. OCLC 38411734.
  • Ashton, John; Laura, Ronald S. (2005) [1998]. The Perils of Progress: The Health and Environment Hazards of Modern Technology, and What You Can Do About Them. 346 pages. Sydney; Bangkok; Cape Town; Halifax; London; New York City: University of New South Wales Press, Ltd.; Fernwood Publishing; University of Cape Town Press; White Lotus; Zed Books. ISBN 0868404888.
  • Ashton, John F. (September 2000) [1998]. The Seventh Millennium: The Evidence That We Can Know the Future. 189 pages. Sydney; London: New Holland Publishers, Ltd. ISBN 1864363592.
  • Ashton, John F., Ph.D., ed. (2010) [1999-02-28]. In Six Days: Why 50 Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation (in English, German, Italian, and and Portuguese). 360 pages. Sydney; Green Forest; Milan: New Holland Publishers, Ltd.; Gruppo Editoriale Armenia S.p.A.; Master Books; Strand Publishing. ISBN 978-1864364439.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  • Cerexhe, Peter (2000). Risky Foods, Safer Choices: Avoiding Food Poisoning. 163 pages. University of New South Wales Press Ltd. ISBN 0868405221. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Ashton, John; Ashton, Suzy (2003-02-04) [2001]. A Chocolate a Day: The Amazing Benefits of Chocolate (in English, Chinese, Dutch, German, Indonesian, Japanese, and etc.). Sydney; Barcelona; Jakarta; London; New York City: HarperCollins; Deltas; Ediciones Obelisco S.L.; PT Bhuana Ilmu Populer Kelompok Gramedia; Scherzverlag; Souvenir Press; St. Martins Press; Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 0-312-30757-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  • Ashton, John, ed. (2001). The God Factor: 50 Scientists and Academics Explain Why They Believe in God. 379 pages (paperback ed.). Pymble, New South Wales: HarperCollins. ISBN 0732268761. 2489034.
  • Ashton, John (2002-06-15). On the Seventh Day. 276 pages. Master Books. ISBN 0890513767.
  • Ashton, John F.; Laura, Ronald S. (2009) [2004]. Uncorked! The Hidden Hazards of Alcohol. Yeatman, Heather, fwd. (updated ed.). Victoria: Signs Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1876010713.
  • Ashton, John (2006-01-15). The Big Argument: Does God Exist? Twenty-Four Scholars Explore How Science, Archaeology, and Philosophy Have Proven the Existence of God. 400 pages. Master Books. ISBN 0890514690. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Ashton, John (2006-08-15). Unwrapping The Pharaohs: How Egyptian Archaeology Confirms The Biblical Timeline. 240 pages (Har/DVD ed.). Master Books. ISBN 0890514682. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Articles
  • "The right mate". Record. 87: 13–4. 1982-06-07.
  • Ashton, John (September 2001). "The Case for Creationism: Fifty Scientists Speak Out" (PDF). Ministry. 74 (9). Silver Spring, Maryland: The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: 22–25. ISSN 0026-5314. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  • "Eat your vegies!". Record. 108: 1, 11. 2003-08-23.
  • "Alcohol's dark secret". College and University Dialogue. 17 (2): 28–9, 32. 2005.
  • "Another side to the beer ads". Record. 112: 8–9. 2007-05-08.
  • Ashton, J. (2007). "A creationist's view of the intelligent design debate". Chemistry in Australia. 74 (3): 19–20.
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Notability

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Positive arguments for inclusion:

  • Fellow of Chemical society
  • Adj.Prof(RMIT) + Adj.Assoc.Prof + Hon.Assoc (USyd). Note these are positions of substantially higher prominence than the "average professor" (e.g. faculty member) in north america (even if considered below full professor in Australian system).
  • "In 6 Days" has in depth review by Groves, plus mention by Dawkins, plus widespread mention.
  • Chocolate books have numerous reviews.

Refutations of anticipated counterarguments:

  • Proponents of fringe views are equally valid for inclusion provided the article is written in a way that does not lend credibility to their views.
  • There is no policy requirement that notability be demonstrated with a single ideal source (rather than the sum of a plurality of individually-below-threshold sources).
  • Policy does not distinguish authors from editors (and the impact of "in 6 days" is largely attributable to Ashton's concept and initiative whereas any individual contributing authors would be replaceable). Similarly, primary research vs. meta-analysis is not a basis for judging the significance of research, nor does collaboration reduce its validity.
  • The academic positions are not purely ceremonial (as evidenced in this case by research collaboration and assistant supervisory roles).
  • Allegations of "potted" bio's: even if a bio might be conjectured to have been originally supplied by Ashton that is still no reason to doubt its raw facts of if it passes to be associated with an independent reputation (such as of a publisher using it in promotion pages of a book).

References

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  1. ^ Ashton, John F (John Frederick) (1977), Some aspects of the solution chemistry of titanium (III), retrieved 2014-04-21
  2. ^ a b c d Editor (June 2006). "New Fellow". Food Australia. 58 (6): 243. At the Council meeting on 28 March 2006 Dr John Ashton was elected a Fellow of the Institute .... He has also co-supervised 11 PhD students at Newcastle, Wollongong, Victoria and Deakin Universities .... John has been a Professional Member of AIFST since 1998 and a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI) since 1992. {{cite journal}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  3. ^ "Editorial". New RACI Fellows: John Frederick Ashton. February 1993. p. 86. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  4. ^ "Ashton, Dr. John". Contact. RMIT University. 2012. Retrieved 26/5/02012. Position: Adjunct Professor; School: Applied Sciences. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ "ARC Linkage grants boost RMIT research". RMIT University. 14 July 2010. Professor Stefan Kasapis and Associate Professor John Ashton [were successful] for the creation of a new branch of food research by using whey protein in the development of novel products of low calorie content and glycemic response..
  6. ^ a b Brady, Sharyn (2009-01-28). "Adventist recognised for contributions to biomedical and nutrition research". Record. Seventh-day Adventist Church.
  7. ^ Ashton, The Big Argument, cover.
  8. ^ a b Williams, Rachel (2002-07-24). "Mankind's centuries-old love affair with the cocoa plant". Birmingham Post.
  9. ^ "Dr. John Ashton". Authors. Macmillan Publishers. 2011.
  10. ^ a b Ashton, John F., Ph.D., ed. (2010) [1999-02-28]. In Six Days: Why 50 Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation (in English, German, Italian, and and Portuguese). 360 pages. Sydney; Green Forest; Milan: New Holland Publishers, Ltd.; Gruppo Editoriale Armenia S.p.A.; Master Books; Strand Publishing. pp. 5–6. ISBN 978-1864364439.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  11. ^ Luzer, Daniel (2 February 2010). "The Evolution Debate". Washington Monthly. The official Seventh-day Adventist Church position supports the literal interpretation of the Bible's account of a six day creation and a subsequent flood. Young Earth creationism as a modern theory actually originated with the 1923 writings of George McCready Price, a Seventh-day Adventist.
  12. ^ See for example: Evolution FAQ, PBS, or, Misconceptions about evolution, Berkeley
  13. ^ "Editorial". Australasian Science. 28 (6): 1. July 2007. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  14. ^ Groves, Colin (17 November 1999). "Review of 'Seventh Millennium' by John F. Ashton PhD: Little Evidence for Supernatural Theories". The ANU Reporter. Canberra. p. 10.
  15. ^ Groves, Colin (1999). "A Sad Collection of Poor Excuses" (PDF). The Skeptic. 19 (2): 43–5.
  16. ^ Dawkins, Richard (2001). "Sadly, an Honest Creationist". Free Inquiry. 21 (4).
  17. ^ Kitty Foth-Regner, Heaven Without Her, Thomas Nelson. "We keep hearing that real scientists believe in evolution. This proves that claim to be a lie, as fifty PhDs from virtually every branch of science explain why they believe in a literal six-day creation..."
  18. ^ Jones, R. L.; Vassilakis, Noemie Maxwell (2010). "Perils of Progress". Z. Smith Reynolds Library. Wake Forest University.
  19. ^ Wilson, Bill (1998). "The Perils of Progress". Fluoride. 31 (2). International Society for Fluoride Research: 102.
  20. ^ "The Perils of Progress". Publishers Weekly. 1999-01-04.
  21. ^ Keay, Colin (1998). ".... to the brink of destruction" (PDF). The Skeptic. 18 (2): 44–5.
  22. ^ Dayton, L. (15 June 1991). "Health Warning for Tungsten Halogen Lamps". New Scientist. p. 12. The warning from the medical council follows hard on the heels of a highly controversial theory about the dangers of artificial light proposed by John Ashton and Ronald Laura of Newcastle University in New South Wales.
  23. ^ "Book Case". Books. Liverpool: Daily Post. 2002-03-23. {{cite magazine}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ Editorial Team (2001-02-19). "Australia: A chocolate a day may keep the doctor away". Just-Food. Bromsgrove, Worcestershire: Aroq Ltd.
  25. ^ "Professor Lily Stojanovska". Victoria University. 2012.
  26. ^ Davison, Katherine. "The Chocolate Diet". That's Life!. Pacific Magazines Pty. Ltd.


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