WASHINGTON – Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking’s ability to decipher the world’s most complicated and hard-to-fathom questions has been well-documented – now he’s offered insight and hope into the current unanswerable question being asked by boy band fans: “how could Zayn Malik leave One Direction?”

Hawking was appearing by 3D hologram at the Sydney Opera House Saturday evening, from Cambridge University, BuzzFeed reported.

After answering questions about the future of the universe, a young woman named Samantha asked Hawking: “What do you think is the cosmological effect of Zayn leaving One Direction and consequently breaking the hearts of millions of teenage girls across the world?”

Hawking’s response delighted audience members and the master of ceremonies, who acknowledged he had no idea what the question was about.

“Finally, a question about something important,” said Hawking. “My advice to any heartbroken young girl is to pay close attention to the study of theoretical physics, because one day there may well be proof of multiple universes.”

“It would not be beyond the realms of possibility that somewhere outside our own universe lies another different universe,” Hawking continued. “And in that universe, Zayn is still in One Direction.”

Malik broke teen hearts around the world when he left the band in March.

Hawking’s vision of a parallel universe includes romance.

“This girl may like to know that in another possible universe, she and Zayn are happily married.”

Watch The Guardian’s coverage of Stephen Hawking addressing question about Zayn Malik: