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String theory alters this picture radically by declaring that the “stuff” of all matter and all forces is the same.

In string theory, matter and all its various properties are exactly the same thing: vibrating strands of string. Differences in particles, properties, and nuclear forces reflect the different vibrational patterns of these strands. Just as the same strings of a violin or guitar can produce a tremendous quantity of different notes, depending on how they are plucked, the strings of superstring theory can generate all the multiplicity of the universe, depending on how they vibrate. Figuring out how these vibrations work, and the configuration of the strings, is an immense task, but the premise—that the entire universe has the exact same base ingredient—is thrillingly simple.

String theory is still in a state of constant flux. Though many physicists now agree that the universe is not composed of zero-dimensional dots, they continue to speculate about geometric possibilities other than strings. With the development of M-theory, they are studying refinements of the eleven-dimensional model by predicting the existence of two-dimensional Frisbee-like branes and even three-dimensional blobs, both of a size no one has yet determined.

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