Seems like the connection with Ropes and Gray was
Post# of 82672
I love to stare at a fire and think about how it is self sustaining as long as there is a supply of fuel. The hard part is getting the fire started, which takes a lot of energy, but then keeping it going requires far less energy. It's the same sort of phenomenon as boiling water or a neon or fluorescent light bulb.
Then there's SFOR: