In the weather, we can see positive feedback when a series of hot, sunny days create a static high pressure system which keeps storms from moving in to cool things off.

FORBES: Chaos Theory, Financial Markets, and Global Weirding

The friction caused by the gas bubble pushing up the pipe and displacing the drilling mud used to control the pressure could have created a static charge that ignited the gas into a fireball.

FORBES: BP's Deepwater Disaster: What Happened And Why?

Allen said scientists planned to conduct some pressure tests that they had been unable to perform before last week's "static kill" operation cemented the center of the well from above.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS