Interesting interview about all things 'string theory' with Peter Woit (who wrote 'not even wrong' a long time ago) and Joseph Conlon (who wrote 'why string theory' very recently). Conlon gives 'string theory' an A+ (somewhat tongue in cheek) but when asked what string theory actually is, he says this:

"What it isn't is the idea of string theory as a fundamental theory of nature that is sitting behind the standard model as the kind of, you know, the deep structure of the standard model, the deep structure of this universe. For good or ill, I think mostly ill, but lots of people think for good. I mean, most of the research that is in string theory is kind of much more in the sort of mathematical physics area with kind of very tangential, at best, connections to the physics of this world. "

Jaimongul (the host) asks him: "So then, Joe, what is the definition of string theory? It's whatever is practiced by the people who are at least previously called string theorists?", and Conlon has pretty much no answer to it. "In some ways, that's how people use the term".

This is a guy who wrote a book on why string research is good who

- can't say what string theory is, and
- says that it has 'very tangential, at best' connections to the physical world