the intersection of the conjunct nerd and the conjunct popular is empty, if you understand me, hohohoho!
The word nerd is getting a lot of new meanings, it not define only the geeks(oldschool nerd) anymore, it's defining all a kind of culture like games, animations, uncommon subjects while the geeks are definite by the taste for technology and very good grades. I don't know abroad, but in Brazil the things are getting into that.
If we talk about the oldschool nerd, I cannot be a sample, cause ma grades are bad, although I study engineering.