Work out how fast a mexican wave propagates and start a wave from a point on earth. Let people know when the wave will be passing through their location* so that they can join in the wave even if they can't see it coming.

When the wave passes though large groups of people you could see the wave sweep along. At other times, you'd just see a person get up from their desk and put their hands in the air when their watch beeps**. Flashing lights, sounding horns and cheering would also be appropriate.

If a mexican wave propagates at 15 miles per hour (seems about right) then the wave would reach the opposite side of the world*** about 35 days later. There could be great celebrations and another wave could be sent back.
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*The best means of organisation would seem to be a website that allows people to enter their location and gives the local time of the wave's arrival along with the wave's direction (so that you can watch it coming or going).

**Accurate timepieces essential.

***It would seem prudent to pick a city that has another city roughly antipodal to it.
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[as I write this a sense of familiarity is starting to creep over me. If I have remembered this from a since deleted idea, please let me know]
-- st3f, Nov 16 2002

(?) Rod's Boing http://www.halfbake...ternational_20Boing
Could this be the source of your sense of familiarity? [egbert, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Mexican Wave http://phrases.shu....eanings/246700.html
for waugs. [st3f, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Mexican Wave Simulator http://angel.elte.h...i?m=simulations&s=1
Simulates a wave in a stadium. (Java) [st3f, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Critical Mass http://news.bbc.co....ci/tech/2253747.stm
[thumbwax, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

It's kind of dumb but I like it a lot. You could link it to charity and have participation t-shirts <g>
-- madradish, Nov 16 2002


Instead of webwide watch alerts, issue everyone with a waugsgety programmed to go off when a nearby waugsgety was alerted by a nearby waugsgety - thus propogating an international Mexican Wavesgety.
-- egbert, Nov 16 2002


egbert, UB: Echoes I can cope with. I was just concerned with inadvertent wholesale plagiarism.
-- st3f, Nov 16 2002


Ohhhhh, i thought you meant a worldwide wave, done by mexican people. i was going to make a snide comment about the amount of mexicans that dont live in siberia, or japan or something. I wonder if everyone who did this was out side, if it would change the weather.
-- notme, Nov 16 2002



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