A phone call at 2:11 p.m. shattered a quiet Monday: Whakaari had erupted with tourists on the crater floor. From that moment, we step into a week where science, instinct, and grief collided—and where a volcanologist had to help decide whether recovery teams could return to an active volcano while families waited for news.

We sit down with Nico Fournier, the volcanologist who became the connective tissue between seismology, gas readings, deformation data, drones, and the authorities tasked with acting fast. Nico explains why small, explosive eruptions can be catastrophic at close range, how New Zealand’s volcanic alert levels guide decisions, and why the team opted to communicate conservatively when webcams went blind under ash. He also shares the most human part of the job: meeting families, opening his laptop, and translating rising underground activity into clear reasons to pause, even as the urge to bring loved ones home grew stronger.

Across two recovery operations, we follow the logistics and the stakes: Navy ships, inflatables, police specialists on breathing apparatus, fire‑service drones mapping the ground, and helicopter lifts coordinated minute by minute. Nico watched the crater from offshore with optics and infrared while a senior seismologist monitored real‑time signals—told to call the instant his gut flipped. It’s a rare window into how expert intuition, built on decades of pattern recognition, becomes a safety threshold when models can’t give hard lines.

We also reckon with what followed: reconstructing the fate of the missing through seismic signatures of overnight mudflows, and the vital role of local iwi who led blessings and supported survivors and families. The result is a candid look at decision‑making under uncertainty, risk mitigation on active volcanoes, and the ethics of when to go and when to stand down.

Stay tuned for Part Two of Nico's story.

Links:

https://www.gns.cri.nz/about-us/staff-search/nico-fournier/

https://www.iavceivolcano.org/

DONATE TO IAVCEI:

https://www.iavceivolcano.org/donation-form/

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/nicofournier

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-fournier-0130704/

https://www.instagram.com/iavcei/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/iavcei-int-assoc-of-volcanology-chemistry-of-the-earth-s-interior/posts/?feedView=all

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SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support.

SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show.

WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.

This is a bonus clip from this week’s episode with magician Sean Borland.

During our conversation, I asked Sean whether he’d be willing to demonstrate one of his mind-reading illusions live on the show. What followed was a classic “book test” — eight books to choose from, hundreds of pages, complete freedom of choice… and a single word.

I chose a book.

Then a page.

Then a word.

Sean tried to guess it.

What makes this moment fascinating isn’t just the reveal — it’s the psychology behind it. Along the way, Sean explains how people tend to choose numbers like 67 or 167 when asked to “freely” pick one, why certain words feel more natural than others, and how subtle framing can shape decisions without us realising it. You’ll hear how association, memory, and suggestion narrow the field — without ever feeling forced.

How he got there is something you’ll have to hear (or watch) for yourself.

If you haven’t listened to the full episode yet, I’d highly recommend starting there. In it, Sean shares the story of performing for billionaires and royalty, the discipline behind mastering sleight of hand, and the seance in South Africa that he describes as “the beginning of the end.”

This bonus clip gives you a glimpse of the craft in action.

Enjoy — and let me know if you know how he does it!

Links:

WEBSITE - https://www.seanborland.com/

SOCIALS:

https://www.youtube.com/c/SeanBorlandInternationalMagician

https://www.facebook.com/seanborlandmagician/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-borland-49a1aaa6/

Send a text

SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support.

SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show.

WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.

Candlelight. A creaking old house on a South African nature reserve. Wind outside, silence within. We sit down with world-touring magician Sean Borland to unpack the seance that electrified a room, the billionaire who dared him to go bigger, and the exact moment he chose to walk away from a career most performers only dream of.

Sean’s path wasn’t luck alone. He left a safe job, trained ten hours a day in rural China, became ambidextrous to sharpen sleight of hand, and learned to thrive on Sydney’s streets where hecklers and chaos forged bulletproof audience control. That grind paid off at an Indonesian resort where a self-made billionaire—who’d once hired David Blaine—pushed Sean to his limits. A single, audacious card call hit perfectly and opened doors to the Hamptons, New York, and elite private events around the world.

The heart of our conversation is belief: how suggestion, selection, and silence allow spectators to build the magic inside their own minds. Sean explains why choosing the right participant matters more than any prop, how cultural and venue context change outcomes, and where performers cross the line from theatre into exploitation. In a gripping breakdown of a Victorian-style Oracle Act, he shares how a guest’s question—“Should I leave my husband?”—forced a delicate, ethical response and revealed why the thrill of wonder can’t outrun responsibility.

We also explore what comes after: translating performance psychology into ethical sales, resisting the temptation to pose as a “psychic,” and a brutally honest take on mastery. If you’re chasing a career in magic, you’ll hear both the blueprint—commitment beyond motivation, practice that embraces boredom, and real-world reps—and the caution: perfectionism isolates, and success can still feel complete before the spotlight fades.

Subscribe for more story-driven conversations, share this with a friend who loves mind games and craft, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Your support keeps No Ordinary Monday independent and ad-free.

Links:

WEBSITE - https://www.seanborland.com/

SOCIALS:

https://www.youtube.com/c/SeanBorlandInternationalMagician

https://www.facebook.com/seanborlandmagician/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-borland-49a1aaa6/

Send a text

SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support.

SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show.

WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.