Answer and Explanation:
In "Flowers for Algernon," the main character is Charlie Gordon, a man who undergoes surgery to improve his intelligence. Before the procedure, Charlie's I.Q. was 68. At a certain point in the story, three different doctors try to explain to Charlie what I.Q. is, but they have different opinions on the matter.
Dr. Nemur says the I.Q. of a person shows how smart that person is. Dr. Strauss, on the other hand, claims that Dr. Nemur is wrong, and that an I.Q. shows how smart a person can get. That it is like the numbers written on a measuring cup - we still need to fill the cup with something. Confused, Charlie talks to Dr. Burt, who says the other two doctors could be wrong. According to Burt, I.Q. can measure several different things, including things a person has already learned, but it is not a good measure for intelligence.