Editorial Quick Take Three days before he launched the Russian invasion on Ukraine on February 24, Vladimir Putin delivered a speech that might have sounded to some like a bit of a rambling history lesson, reaching before the Bolsheviks all the way to the present time, with the aim of justifying the war waged on Ukraine here and now in 2022. In it he said, among other things: “​​Since time immemorial, the people living in the southwest of what has historically been Russian land have called themselves Russians and Orthodox Christians. This was the case before the 17th century, when a portion of this territory rejoined the Russian state, and after.” …

Imagine two geological maps of your zip code, one made a thousand years ago and one made today. Chances are they would be nearly identical. Now imagine two road maps of the same area, one from 1965 and one from today. Could you find your way around? Probably. Finally, imagine two maps of your zip code, charting house color, one from 1987 and one from today. Would you recognize your own street?

When it comes to maps and reality, there is simply too much to get in. But maps can perhaps succeed in suggesting what is important. What is important about a place — its topography, history, global position or even mythical value?

“Odd-toed”? Horses have hooves; why not say “single-toed” instead of “odd-toed”? Turns out, depending on who you ask, horses may have three or even five toes on each limb.