This isn't really my specialty (string theory), but it's close enough "next door" that our conferences tend to have speakers on this topic on a regular basis. (There's a lot of overlap in individual researchers, too.)

I'm not going to try to one-up the article's non-expert description, but it's worth emphasizing that this isn't a "bold new idea of the week". (Rare among science journalism, I know.) This is a longstanding research program with a substantial number of contributors that's been making clear, gradual progress for a decade or two.