John Piña Craven John Piña Craven ( born 1924 in New York City ) is known for his involvement with Bayesian search theory and the recovery of lost objects at sea . Craven holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University , a Master of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology , a Ph . D . from the University of Iowa , and a law degree from the National Law Center of the George Washington University . Craven has 40 years of experience in the innovation , development , design , construction and operational deployment of major oceanic systems . As a boy , Craven studied ocean technology at the Brooklyn Technical High School , and he became familiar with the ocean on the beaches of Long Island and on the waterfront of New York City . During World War II , Craven served as an enlisted man on the USS " New Mexico " . In 1944 , Craven was selected for the Navy ' s V - 12 program for officer trainees , and from this , he earned his commission as an ensign in the Navy . After earning his Ph . D . , Craven worked at the David Taylor Model Basin of the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Carderock , Maryland , working on nuclear submarine hull designs . He received two civilian service awards in connection with these developments . He was later appointed as the Project Manager for the Navy ' s Polaris submarine program , and also the Navy ' s Special Projects Office . He later became its Chief Scientist . Craven was awarded two Distinguished Civilian Service Awards ( the Department of Defense ’ s highest honor for civilians ) among other commendations . While working for the Navy , Craven helped pioneer the use of Bayesian search techniques to locate objects lost at sea ( Bayesian search theory ) . Craven ' s work was instrumental in the Navy ' s search for the missing hydrogen bomb that had been lost in the Mediterranean Sea , off the coast of Spain in 1966 . Craven ' s next large accomplishment was in the search for and locating of the submarine USS " Scorpion " , which had disappeared in deep water in the Atlantic Ocean west of Portugal and Spain . As Chief Scientist of the Special Projects Office , Craven was in charge of the Deep Submergence Systems Project , which included the SEALAB program . In February 1969 , when aquanaut Berry L . Cannon died while attempting to repair a leak in SEALAB III , Craven headed an advisory group that determined the best method of salvaging the SEALAB habitat . After leaving the Navy , Craven became the Marine Affairs Coordinator for the State of Hawaii and also the Dean of marine programs at the University of Hawaii . During his time in Hawaii , it has been alleged that Craven was involved in the development and operation of the secretive salvage ship , " Glomar Explorer " . Craven also served during the Carter Administration on the U . S . Government ' s Weather Modification Commission . During that time , a hypothetical method was developed to significantly reduce the impact of hurricanes . In 1976 , after losing in his campaign to become a member of the U . S . House of Representatives , Craven was appointed as the Director of the Law of the Sea Institute . In 2001 , he was the president of the Common Heritage Corporation . Craven has resided in Honolulu , Hawaii for years . Craven ' s daughter , Sarah Craven , is a prominent international advocate of women ' s rights . She is the mother of three children . Craven also has a son , David Craven , who is the father of two children . His brother , Kenneth Craven , is a distinguished educator and scholar , who served as the Chancellor of the City University of New York during the 1960s . After having earned his law degree through degree program at night , Craven was responsible for the direction of the International Law of the Sea Institute . In 1990 he established the Common Heritage Corporation for the management of innovation for the benefit of the common heritage . Craven is a member of the National Academy of Engineering . According to Wired Magazine , Craven ' s current undertaking is to link islands in the Pacific Ocean with sustainable energy , agriculture , and fresh water through the use of Deep Ocean Water pumped up using pipes from offshore . He is developing a new and innovative cold water therapy which may produce significant health breakthroughs and slow the aging process . Craven wrote the book , " The Silent War : The Cold War Battle Beneath the Sea " .