What these two processes share is baked into the math of each. In fact, in that respect, they're nearly identical. They both involve some stuff (atoms or money) that is either growing or shrinking.

You might have heard people use the term compound interest, but if you can’t answer the question “What is compound interest?” then you’re missing out on how compound interest affects your finances.

Compound interest is the interest earned on money that has already earned interest. Compound interest helps your money grow faster, with no additional investment on your part. Many or all of the ...