human
Why do we have a short term memory and a long term memory?
assistant
Short term memory is used to store information for a short period of time, while long term memory is used to store information for a long period of time. Short term memory is used to store information that we need to use right away, like the name of a person we are talking to, or the directions to a new location. Long term memory is used to store information that we need to use later, like facts and information about the world.