This could be a bit of a challenge.

For decades, the men and women of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation have been on the cutting edge of scientific innovation. From the creation of the first polymer bank note to the development of Wi-Fi technology, their pioneering work has shaped the world in which we live, and inspired generations of young Australians who dream of a better tomorrow.

Yet despite their long list of accomplishments, nothing could have prepared the boffins at the CSIRO for the new task given to them by science minister Greg Hunt: explaining basic scientific principles to One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts.

Hunt asked representatives from the scientific agency to meet with Senator Roberts after the outspoken climate sceptic demanded in question time on Thursday to see “data that proves claims that humans affect global climate change.”

Roberts later told The Guardian that he would be briefed by CSIRO scientists in the next fortnight, and said he was willing to give them “every opportunity” to prove the connection between human activity and climate change. “My core aim is, as always, to get the empirical data that underlies their claim that carbon dioxide is affecting global climate, because they’ve never provided it before,” he said.

Of course the CSIRO will have a tough road to walk if it wants to convince Roberts that the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change is in fact the correct one. Renowned physicist Brian Cox tried his best back in August, only to find himself stymied by the Senator’s claims that the date had been “corrupted” by the dastardly conspirators at NASA.

In his first parliamentary address on Wednesday, Roberts also called out climate activists who “avoid discussing facts and rely on pictures of cute smiling dolphins.” Nice try science, but Malcolm is far too clever to fall for that old dolphin ruse. You won’t pull the wool over his eyes.

Incidentally, the CSIRO has recently been forced to make deep job cuts after a reduction in government funding. But at least it’s comforting to know that the scientists who managed to hold on to their positions won’t be wasting their time on stuff that could be taught by a Year 7 science teacher.