TDM's theory is mechanistic/substantival; string theory is not. TDM says force, diffusion, photons, and gravity arise from stress gradients in a matrix. String theory does not normally explain interactions as relaxation of a universal elastic network.
TDM's determinism diverges from mainstream string theory. String theory is ordinarily formulated within quantum mechanics, so it inherits the standard probabilistic formalism rather than replacing it with a fully deterministic hidden-state or reactive-state picture.

Rather than treating particles as independent entities moving through empty space, TDM interprets them as localized stress configurations (nodes, vortices, bubbles) within a universal dynamic matrix. Motion is not caused by abstract forces acting at a distance but by the matrix’s intrinsic drive toward global stress equilibrium.

Our current understanding, which separates matter and electromagnetic waves, appears to be flawed. The concept of time—deeply rooted in a philosophical construct designed to frame the changes in the state of matter and motion—is a major point of contention between quantum and classical physics. While convenient, this notion creates a dissonance that prevents the unification of physics at our scale with quantum physics.