Every puzzle in the round has two answers. One answer is a chemical element, and the other answer is a word that can be preceded by a different chemical element to yield a common phrase. Taking the difference in atomic number between the element in the answer and the element in the common phrase gives a number that can be converted into a letter:
| Puzzle | Answers | Common Phrase | Answer At. No. | Phrase At. No. | Difference | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flag Functions | PRASEODYMIUM STANDARD | GOLD STANDARD | 59 | 79 | 20 | T |
| Letterhead | THULIUM BLONDE | PLATINUM BLONDE | 69 | 78 | 9 | I |
| Crossudoku | ARSENIC SURFER | SILVER SURFER | 33 | 47 | 14 | N |
| Watch and Learn | FLUORINE VALLEY | SILICON VALLEY | 9 | 14 | 5 | E |
| Duality | BORON COPY | CARBON COPY | 5 | 6 | 1 | A |
| Janky Dinoscores | OXYGEN CURTAIN | IRON CURTAIN | 8 | 26 | 18 | R |
The answer is therefore TIN EAR, which is the reason you have been struggling to understand the aliens.