How Fast Is Waving Hand?

A friendly wave moves the hand at about 2 metres per second. Frantic waves can peak at 5 m/s — one of the oldest and most universal human gestures, recognisable across nearly every culture on Earth.

Waving is one of the oldest known human gestures — depicted in cave art going back an extraordinarily long way.

• Same pace as a housefly flying
• A frantic wave is 2.5× faster