# "So semantic interoperability is a kind of philosopher's stone...."

**Category:** [Clinical (archive)](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/clinical-archive/153)
**Created:** 2009-04-22 13:05 UTC
**Views:** 1
**Replies:** 0
**URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/so-semantic-interoperability-is-a-kind-of-philosophers-stone/13263

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## Post #1 by @ian.mcnicoll

I have re\-posted this from the openEHR Technical list as I think
Seref's original technical post, prompted the beginnings of a
discussion which is decidedly more clinical and may run on, swamping
Seref's original query\.

I have tidied up the various responses to date below and included
Seref's original post, don't worry if this seems very technical \-  the
key to this discussion is to read Derek Meyer's reply and this
paragraph in particular\.\.

"So semantic interoperability is a kind of philosopher's stone\. The
search for the original philosopher's stone, which could turn base metal
into gold, simply showed that alchemists misunderstood chemistry and
sub\-atomic physics\. Maybe the search for  semantic interoperability
simply shows that informaticians misunderstand linguistics and the
nature of knowledge\."

Unleash the Dogs of War,

Ian

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**Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/so-semantic-interoperability-is-a-kind-of-philosophers-stone/13263
**Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/so-semantic-interoperability-is-a-kind-of-philosophers-stone/13263