String theory is the idea that the world, at its smallest scale, consists of eleven dimensional strings. The theory is commonly thought to be one of the best approaches to finding a "theory of everything" -- a single theory to describe all the known forces of nature (gravitational, strong, weak, electromagnetic interactions). I'm still waiting until I learn more before I decide what I think. However, it is safe to say that string theory is an incredibly controversial field in physics. Most people either love or hate it. The critics have good reason to complain. Not only is there no experimental evidence for string theory, there are very few plausible ways to test it. Physicists have been blessed with a remarkable theoretical understanding of their science, but this progress has always been motivated by experiments. String theory is stretching that boundary by propelling itself forward not by experimental results but by theoretical intuition. This sort of guesswork has sometimes been incredibly successful, but I have to agree with the critics -- twenty years is a long time to spend on a theory with no experimental evidence. I guess my opinion is kind of negative so far, but I haven't studied string theory, so that's why I'm still holding out.
If you have the time and interest, take a look at two recent articles in the New York Times and Science Magazine (you need a subscription).
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