Цветы для Элджернона
PROGRESS REPORT 13
Ihadmyfingeronthecagedoorrelease,andasAlgernonwatchedthemovementofmyhandwithhispink-candyeyes,I’mcertainheknewwhatIhadinmind.AtthatmomentBurttookthecageforhisdemonstration.Heexplainedthecomplexityoftheshiftinglock,andtheproblem-solvingrequiredeachtimethelockwastobeopened.(Thinplasticboltsfellintoplaceinvaryingpatternsandhadtobecontrolledbythemouse,whodepressedaseriesofleversinthesameorder.)AsAlgernon’sintelligenceincreased,hisproblem-solvingspeedincreased—thatmuchwasobvious.ButthenBurtrevealedonethingIhadnotknown.
Atthepeakofhisintelligence,Algernon’sperformancehadbecomevariable.Thereweretimes,accordingtoBurt’sreport,whenAlgernonrefusedtoworkatall—evenwhenapparentlyhungry—andothertimeswhenhewouldsolvetheproblembut,insteadoftakinghisfoodreward,wouldhurlhimselfagainstthewallsofhiscage.
WhensomeonefromtheaudienceaskedBurtifhewassuggestingthatthiserraticbehaviorwasdirectlycausedbyincreasedintelligence,Burtduckedthequestion."AsfarasIamconcerned,"hesaid,"there’snotenoughevidencetowarrantthatconclusion.Thereareotherpossibilities.Itispossiblethatboththeincreasedintelligenceandtheerraticbehavioratthislevelwerecreatedbytheoriginalsurgery,insteadofonebeingafunctionoftheother.It’salsopossiblethatthiserraticbehaviorisuniquetoAlgernon.
