The continuum is a range, series, or spectrum that gradually changes from one end to the other but with distinctly defined extremes. It can also refer to a system of stratification that is not binary, such as caste or class systems of society. Gender expectations for men and women or the severity of crimes committed can be seen as two extreme points on a continuum.

The folds of the spacetime continuum are well documented in the scientific literature, but it is harder to find examples of a continuum in everyday life. Nonetheless, they are there. A continuum can describe the way an individual’s musical taste varies or the way that human growth is affected by genetic influences and environmental factors. It can also refer to the way that the body responds to exercise—the difference between a slow-twitch miler and a fast-twitch 5K runner, for example.

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