The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $12.2 million grant to Cornell and six other institutions to develop a social networking site that will connect biomedical researchers across the country. Think Facebook, but rather than updating your profile with your “Halloween 2009!” photo album and relationship status, you would post research interests, current projects and your latest journal publications.

That monolith of a social networking site is due to acquire its 200 millionth user in the next few days, if it hasn’t already. You know which one I mean: Facebook. Although I have resented the site ever since my friends in high school urged me to join it, Facebook is apparently here to stay. It has become more than just a website. Since its creation in 2004, its name has changed from the more humble “thefacebook.com” to a proper noun to be reckoned with. It is an entity nearing nationhood status, a verb and a place.