Another equation you will find in physics textbooks is s = vt. Here s stands for the distance traversed by a moving object (s = spatium), v for its speed (v = velocitas), and t for the time elapsed (t = tempus).
It is important to note that both sides of the equation represent physical quantities: s is not space itself, but the quantitatively expressed amount of space as resulting from a measurement along a trajectory. The equation does not tell us anything about the nature of the mysterious entities space, velocity and time, nor does it help us to understand the concept of motion (or of object, for that matter) in any ontological sense. Likewise, Einstein's celebrated equation does not equate energy itself with mass, but equates physical quantities resulting from measurement.
To live, we need to navigate the territory of physical reality. What science does is to provide maps of the territory. Einstein's equation is part of that map. But we must not forget, as Korzybski taught us, that the map is not the territory.
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