Radiation Hormesis - It's A Kind Of Magic

Yesterday I mentioned Jane Goldberg.  When I was first learning about her I came across this video of her interviewing Philip Lipetz, PhD for her book.  This video was completely different than the typical propaganda from health physics deniers (in this case related to the hormesis cult).  Lipetz comes off as very intelligent, kind, and honest.  He honestly states that his hypothesis is just that....a hypothesis (to be revisited below).  Heck, I'd even say he's convincing:

It really is amazing to witness the transformation of that version of Lipetz, into this one:

Back to his hormesis hypothesis....it's irrational, I'm positive (pun intended!).  He says (about 3:00, first video), that if "you have just a small level of radiation, not enough to really damage the DNA, but enough to set off the DNA repair mechansisms..." blah, blah, blah.

He ignores the fact that a single photon is enough to damage the DNA.  In fact, a single photon is enough to damage lotsa DNA (a single DNA ionization only requires about 34 eV, whereas a photon emitted following the decay of Cs-137 (pick whichever isotope you want) has 662,000 eV).  It is the photon interaction with the body (damage) which triggers the repair mechanisms (or the cell could die).  How does one magically get less than one photon?   What magic triggers the repair mechanisms, if not the interaction between the photon and the body (damage)?  Why would the body magically set off the repair mechanism without a prior cause?

Music, please Maestro: