I think it's also become normalized. I'm both very far on the geek-side of the spectrum in interests, but I also spend a lot of time with people on the other end. The kind of interests I can openly have today would have probably seen me ostracized in previous generations. I got a rug printed for my kid that's the floorplan of a 4004 - and nobody even mentioned how absurdly nerdy it is to be making ICs into furniture.