The standard model of particle physics is based on the concept of elementary particles as point-like objects. In contrast, the basic idea of string theory is that all elementary particles, from electrons and photons to neutrinos, are different oscillation patterns of one and the same kind of one-dimensional elementary "string". This is in direct analogy to the strings of musical instruments: just as one and the same string can produce not only a fundamental note, but also harmonics, one and the same string can appear as one or the other elementary particle - depending on the way it oscillates.

In this model, the fact that, in experiments, particles do seem point-like is merely a consequence of the fundamental strings being exceedingly small, far smaller than the smallest structures todays experiments can explore.