LAUSR

As physicians and neuroscientists, we are concerned about the clinical and scientific limitations of chip-in-the-brain technology. Until these problems are overcome, we argue that less invasive methods could be used. Implantation of an electronic chip requires opening the skull and inserting the chip into the cortex, where it records spikes from a few dozen neurons (out of millions) for an unpredictable length of time (often less than a year). This technique has been used, for example, to restore motor function after spinal-cord injury in humans (C. E. In our view, a non-invasive signal could have controlled the movements under study with comparable efficacy. Many non-invasive brain-derived signals can be used to activate paralysed muscles directly. These signals can be accessed readily throughout the body — for example, by scalp electroencephalograms or by electromyography of muscles. Beall's List of predatory publishers, now withdrawn, was instrumental in the fight against the dubious practices of some online open-access science journals (see P. Sorokowski et al. Nature 543, 481–483; 2017). To borrow a metaphor from James Woolsey, director of the CIA when the Soviet Union was collapsing: 'we live now in a jungle filled with a bewildering Predatory journals: fortify the defences Ongoing initiatives are crucial for keeping researchers informed about predatory journals and the fraudulent strategies they use to recruit submissions (see P. Sorokowski et al. Nature 543, 481–483; 2017). For example, these journals will often add names of real researchers to their editorial boards for credibility, but without consent. We urge all scholarly publishers to join the fight against such practices. Beall's online list of potential, possible or probable predatory open-access publishers, now discontinued, was invaluable for dealing with harassment by predatory journals. An anonymous website now provides a record of the entire list (see go.nature.com/2ok23zq), but it will need to be continually updated using Beall's criteria if it is to be effective. Publishers could help by providing guidelines for choosing reliable journals in which to publish. An example is the 'Think. Check. Submit' initiative (go.nature.com/2plm8kd), which is supported by respected organizations and publishers such as the Directory of Open Access Journals and Springer Nature. Help bigger palm oil yields to save land Technological innovation in oil-palm farming could help both to boost yields of palm oil and to reduce deforestation, but only if higher productivity causes palm-oil prices to drop sufficiently to discourage additional cultivation (see Nature 543, 306–308; 2017). If …