Physics deals with the study of interactions between fundamental particles and their collective effects in complex macroscopic systems. In view of the date of this seminar, I will limit myself to a discussion of interactions in which the fundamental particles are scientists, non-scientists and administrators. Based on personal experience gained in 55 years of professional life as a scientist and administrator (in four different countries and half a dozen different institutions), the topics below are among those I will address.

• Public relations: the do's and don't's
• Explaining the need for basic science without any applications to politicians
• Long-term planning in research: does it make any sense?
• International scientific cooperation: is it science or scientific tourism?
• The inevitable arrogance of physicists in interdisciplinary research
• 'Publish or perish' vs. 'self-promote or perish' vs. 're-invent past work'
• Putting pork on the table: can it cause indigestion?
• The parallel universes of research and administration
• The perpendicular universes of science and religion