Lee, The system of countable and uncountable nouns is very useful for distinguishing between the concrete, and abstracts aspects of nouns. Some nouns can be countable or uncountable and thus have more than one definition or aspect. As a COUNTABLE noun “a realization” can refer to a moment of understanding something. 1a) Today I had a realization about how they make processed meats. …Yesterday I had a realization about what kind of meat they use in sausages. That makes two realizations I’ve had in one week. A realization is a countable concrete experience. The indefinite article “a” indicates that I am counting it among the indefinite number of possible realizations. 1b) THE realization that I had about how they make processed meat changed my life. The article “the” indicates that the concrete realization is definite or particular one. -------- Realization as an UNCOUNTABLE NOUN can refer to the process of understanding something. 2 a) Realization is the foundation of true science. -Realization here is a process or activity that is not divided into countable units or realizations. The absence of an article indicates a general statement. If the absence of an article indicates that a noun is uncountable, how do you make a general statement with COUNTABLE nouns? 1) The + singular noun = the realization The realization of guilt comes before the its rationalization The airplane is perhaps of the most important inventions of the 20th century. -This is a formal way to make a general statement with countable nouns. It refers to the moment of realization as an abstract idea representing all realizations not just a particular one. 2) A + singular noun = a realization A realization is a spiritual as well as a mental phenomenon. -This is a less formal way of expressing generalizations. It uses an indefinite realization (any realization) as an abstract idea to represent all realizations. It is not the same as 1a) which refers to a concrete realization. 3) No article + plural noun Realizations are important events in our lives. Airplanes are everywhere these days. -This is the informal way to make general statements with uncountable nouns.

To have "a realization", is to figure something out, to understand it. Example: "The man had a sudden realization. He would have to find a new job." You will also see the phrase "the realization of something", usually a plan or dream. In that case, it means making something real. Example: "The Wright Brothers' successful flight at Kitty Hawk was the realization of man's age-old dream of flight." All I can say about "news" is that English is a language without consistent rules or usage. We got most of our words from other languages, and we use them in all sorts of ways, and some we use numbers with, and some we don't. Unfortunately, Logic is no help!