Citation
Hormesis: Why It Is Important to Toxicology and Toxicologists
TL;DR
Hugo Schulz discovered hormesis in 1888 with yeast and low-dose poisons
This comprehensive history traces hormesis from Hugo Schulz's 1888 discovery that low doses of poisons stimulated yeast growth, through the concept's marginalization due to association with homeopathy, to modern molecular understanding. The biphasic dose-response curve (no effect at zero, benefits at low exposure, harm at high exposure) explains why controlled stress builds capacity.
For organizations, this research validates deliberate stress-seeking: chaos engineering, pre-mortems, constraints, and putting top talent on hard problems. The rule: stress must be intermittent and recoverable. Constant stress overwhelms; oscillation builds resilience.
Key Findings from Calabrese (2008)
- Hugo Schulz discovered hormesis in 1888 with yeast and low-dose poisons
- Biphasic dose-response: no effect at zero, benefits at low dose, harm at high dose
- Mild stress triggers repair systems that overcompensate
- Stress must be intermittent and recoverable to build capacity