Professor Stephen Hawking has finally broken his silence about the news of Zayn Malik's departure from boy band One Direction. The renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist was appearing from Cambridge University in holgram form (of course) at Sydney Opera House, for the An Evening with Stephen Hawking event. The conversation took a typically predictable route through mundane subjects such as the meaning of the universe, Hawking's own battle with motor neurone disease, and how humans will have to leave the planet Earth within the next 1,000 years. And then the tough questions began: "What do you think is the cosmological effect of Zayn leaving One Direction and consequently breaking the hearts of millions of teenage girls acroos the world," asked an audience member. Hawking, on top form, replied: ""Finally, a question about something important. 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 of our own universe lies another different universe – and in that universe, Zayn is still in One Direction. The girl may like to know that in another possible universe, she and Zayn are happily married." Hawking closed his appearance by quoting Star Trek's Captain James T Kirk, perhaps soon to drop down in Dubai himself, saying "Beam me up, Scottie" as his hologram disappeared into the ether.
