See What the Internet Actually Looks Like

The Opte Project, an Internet mapping initiative started in 2003 by computer scientist and artist Barrett Lyon, has released its latest visualization of the ever-growing Internet.

The Internet at its core is a massive global system of interconnected computer networks. What's mapped in the images above, Lyon explains, are the paths through which information flows from router to router all across the world. Computers from different regions of the world are mapped out by color, allowing viewers to see how regions like Latin America have experienced explosive growth in Internet connectivity.

© Provided by Time Article 2015 Strong growth of Latin America networks through the years has resulted in an Internet that is no longer North America-centric.

“What you’re looking at is not a real world. You’re looking at a representation of this different dimension, so to speak,” says Lyon. “The Internet is really big, very connected and extremely complex. It’s this whole world you can’t see. That’s the fun part of visualizing it.”

The Opte Project has been on display in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the Museum of Science in Boston.