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Why might it be useful to have short-term and long-term memory have different properties? Why not just one kind of memory?

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Answer: Long-term memory is where most of the information you are aware of is stored. Your childhood memories, the names of the people you know, how to ride a bike, and millions of other things are in your short-term memory. Long-term memory is an important part of life, allowing you to grow, progress, and teach things to other people. It also allows you to function in life. The next time you go to the supermarket, be thankful for your long-term memory when you’re able to find your way home.


However, many more things make it into your short-term memory before they’re lost.


Short-term memory involves information that’s retained for a short amount of time and then lost, while long-term memory lasts much longer. Short-term and long-term memory is different in two major ways. The first is the length of time memory is retained, and the second is the amount of information that can be retained. It’s thought that short-term memory only lasts for about 15 to 30 seconds before the information is lost or put into long-term memory. Short-term memory is also thought to only be able to contain around seven items of information.


If this all sounds strange to you, you’re not the only one. The concept of short-term memory is controversial and debated. Memory is a little more complex than retaining seven things for 30 seconds. Information may be difficult to measure in distinct units, and information doesn’t always erase from your brain at the 30-second mark.

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