How does the brain save new information? Think of the last time you looked up the number in the telephone book and dialed it. Could you remember that number five minutes later? Probably not! That’s because it’s in your short-term memory.
Our memory actually has three components. Sensory memory takes in information from our five senses, but these memories last just a few seconds. Short-term memory works like a “holding area” for new information̶that’s where you keep the phone number while you dial it. But if you can put the phone number into long-term memory, you’ll remember that same phone number next week. This part of your memory holds everything from irregular verbs to the names of all your cousins.