The discrete-time physics hiding inside our continuous-time world
(PHYSorg.com Physics)

Scientists believe that time is continuous, not discrete-roughly speaking, they believe that it does not progress in `chunks,` but rather `flows,` smoothly and continuously. So they often model the dynamics of physical systems as continuous-time `Markov processes,` named after mathematician Andrey Markov. Indeed, scientists have used these processes to investigate a range of real-world processes from folding proteins, to evolving ecosystems, to shifting financial markets, with astonishing success.