An example of anthropomorphism:
"Once scientists receive their samples they are always on the lookout for terrestrial particle that might be masquerading as space dust in their allocation. Sometimes the only way to tell them apart is by analysing the rock dust in detail, observing the structure of the particle, the minerals it contains and its chemical composition. Only then can a scientist make an informed decision on whether they have a piece of space dust or not."
Natalie Starkey
Starkey, N. (2018). Catching Stardust. Comets, asteroids and the birth of the solar system. Bloomsbury Sigma.
I classify this as anthropomorphism as the phrasing goes beyond suggesting some terrestrial particles can appear similar to space dust, to imply (for poetic reasons no doubt) that this is a deliberate action (masquerading) on the part of the particle.
There is an interesting 'nature of science' feature here – reflecting the iterative nature of how science sometimes proceeds. Scientists study space dust to find out how similar/different it is from materials found on Earth – but if they are aware of possible contamination they need to have prior conceptions of how contaminant particles will be different from genuine space dust in order to exclude these specimens from the analysis.
Read examples of anthropomorphism in science
