String theory is one of the most famous ideas in modern physics, but it is also one of the most confusing.

At its heart is the idea that the fundamental particles we observe are not point-like dots, but rather tiny strings that are so small that our best instruments cannot tell that they are not points.

It also predicts that there are extra dimensions to space beyond the obvious length, breadth and depth, but we do not experience them because they are bunched up in tiny spaces.

While these notions are deeply strange, the key issue for string theorists has actually been the difficulty of testing their ideas.

One of the most widely publicised aspects of string theory is its need for extra "tiny" dimensions of space. But these extra dimensions may not be necessary after all – at least, not if a 40-year-old idea called "twistor theory" has anything to do with it.