Frozenlock just gave the answer that ends this discussion. The blockchain has the potential to become so much more than a ledger that stores bitcoin transactions. Bitcoins however are what gives you access to it. Intrinsic value, right there.
Could you give some examples?
I think nerds like to, well, nerd out about the potential of the block chain because it takes a while before you can even wrap your head around what it actually is: a distributed, tamper & attack-proof, eternal, trust-free storage of information.
One idea that I've heard was using the block chain as a way to publish information and at the same time being able to prove that you were the first one to do so. But in reality I think what gets the nerds excited is that we can't really see yet what it might be useful for, just that it feels like it very likely that in the future people will come up with a bunch of ideas we can't even dream of. A bit like how Vint Cerf probably didn't have a clue what the Internet one day would look like, but he seemed to realize the potential that it could become something big one day.