I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

The same-sex-marriage debate--and polygamy's rising cultural profile--has encouraged once secretive plural families to fight for recognition of their unions

Peter Bohler for TIME

Joe Darger with his three wives, from left, Vicki, Val and Alina. Vicki and Val are identical twins.

Before judging Alina, Valerie and Vicki, the three wives of Joe Darger, try the experiment Joe Henrich offers his college students in his evolutionary-psychology class at the University of British Columbia. Imagine, he says, that you have to choose between two potential spouses. You feel the same about each. Each cherishes you. Lover A is a regular, middle-class individual. Lover B is a billionaire, the kind with time and money to spare. The caveat is that Lover B is already married and wants to add you as a second spouse, which for the purposes of this experiment is completely legal. Which...

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