At a conference hosted by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, Stephen Hawking offered new insights into a mystery that has plagued astronomers for decades. According to a report from Immortal News, Hawking revealed to conference attendees that black holes might not actually be so devoid of light as we once believed.

Black holes have presented more questions than astronomers have been able to answer, and Hawking’s insights offer clues into what may be at the other end of the mysterious formations.

Hawking, along with the majority of the astronomy community, believed that the information and energy swallowed by a black hole is completely irretrievable. Now, Professor Hawking asserts that there might be a way to find out what happens when energy and matter are seemingly consumed forever.

Hawking claims that the information is not confined to the inside of a black hole, but exists on its boundary, called the “event horizon.” Hawking has proven in the past that radiation can be detected coming from a black hole, which may contain information that was once considered lost.

The physicist wasn’t positive if the information could be of any use to researchers, as it is in a “chaotic” form. Hawking compared the phenomenon to burning an encyclopedia. Even though the molecules from the book are technically still there, you would have a difficult time finding out what the capital of Maryland was.

Hawking’s theory is inspiring other physicists to look deeper into the information emitted by black holes. Perhaps one day, we will be able to know for sure what occurs on the other side.