As I understand it, you do not need a male to create a female but would need one to create a male. But, you must have a female to create a male. So, yes, the male could become obsolete.

An issue they discovered with Dolly is that they cloned an animal that was already mature. The genetic errors that crop up during the aging process were inherent in the clone. The baby had the older genes of a mature animal. Before cloning to make babies could become a reality they would have to overcome that issue.

Cloning to replace a person who has died is just weird IMHO. You\'ll never get that person back unless you somehow could make a recording of their every thought and experience then insert it into the clone. It does sound awfully Sci-fi, doesn\'t it?

The basic research is the important part. If one day, I needed a new liver, having one tailor made for me would be ideal. Or having the genetic knowledge to make humans cancer proof. There are many horrible deseases that could be cured or prevented through the use of genetics.

The important point is to regulate cloning and genetic research so that scientists can learn how to use this technology to our betterment.