Do aliens exist? Is global culture really dead? Can kindness exist in the same world as cruelty? This week’s #TheEdit runs from the cosmic to the intimate – but they share the same instinct: to look again at what we think we already know. 

• Do aliens exist? Steven Spielberg believes they do. The legendary director on why he thinks aliens are real, and why he makes movies about things that scare him – NYT The Daily   
• The roots of goodness. Ervin Staub survived the Holocaust as a child. As a psychologist, he spent a lifetime asking how cruelty takes hold – and whether kindness can, too – Psyche Portrait
• Nothing was ever invented with 10 people in a room. Kayak co-founder Paul English makes the case for fewer, smaller, sharper meetings – Harvard Business Review 
• The school where David Hockney’s inspiration is felt everywhere. For the children of Saltaire Primary, Hockney isn’t an art-world giant but part of everyday life – and a week after his death, they’re painting flowers in his honour – BBC 
• A visual history of the universe that fits on your wall. A stunningly detailed infographic of the universe from its earliest moments to the present day – Big Think 
• Is global culture dead? Many predicted that globalisation would lead to a stale, worldwide monoculture, where everyone watched and listened to the same things. But new analysis says otherwise – The Economist 
• Between code and consciousness. Nine leading voices reflect on artificial intelligence – not as an abstract force, but as a tool whose worth depends on how it honours our humanity – The Beautiful Truth