This week’s new questions

Baby turtle hatching in wildlife conservation area prior to release; Shutterstock ID 2691182297; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other:

What is the advantage of eggs over live births?

2RGEXMW A museum diorama places two gray alien figures beside a tilted, damaged saucer half-buried in sand in Roswell, New Mexico.

If aliens with technology similar to ours lived on a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri (our next-nearest star), would we be able to see unmistakable signs of a technological civilisation? Of life?

Last Word is New Scientist’s long-running series in which readers give scientific answers to each other’s questions, ranging from the minutiae of everyday life to absurd astronomical hypotheticals. To answer a question or ask a new one, email lastword@newscientist.com

To answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com.

Questions should be scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena, and both questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Please include a postal address, daytime telephone number and email address.

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Original source This week’s new questions

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