And that's how you get an introvert to turn into an extrovert, have them gush over their niche hobbies.

It legit works.
My mom's asked me about bugs to get me to talk more.
I've actually done a similar thing with asking music questions to my dad. He's usually a quiet dude, but the man can gush about Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, and obscure facts about concerts he went to.