The question of whether matter is separate bits (discrete) or continuous has been a fundamental problem in physics for centuries. The ancient Greek philosophers, such as Democritus and Leucippus, proposed that all matter is made up of tiny, indivisible particles called "atoms". This view was later supported by experimental evidence from chemists such as John Dalton in the early 19th century, who showed that elements combine in definite ratios, suggesting that they are made up of distinct atoms.

However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the development of quantum mechanics revealed that the world of atoms and subatomic particles is not as simple as it seems. Quantum mechanics describes the behavior of matter at very small scales, and it shows that particles can exhibit both particle-like and wave-like properties. This has led to the development of new theories about the nature of matter, such as the idea of wave-particle duality.

According to wave-particle duality, particles can be described as both waves and particles, depending on the experimental setup. In some experiments, particles behave like waves, exhibiting phenomena such as interference and diffraction. In other experiments, particles behave like particles, such as when they collide with each other or with other objects.

So, in a way, matter can be both separate bits (particles) and continuous (waves), depending on the experimental context. At very small scales, matter behaves according to the laws of quantum mechanics, which allows it to exhibit both particle-like and wave-like properties. However, at larger scales, matter appears to be made up of distinct bits, as predicted by classical physics.