: What could be the turning point for the protagonist? / () ( ) ? [ .]

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A few Ideas:
This is slightly borderline asking what to write, but I'll assume you want broad strokes.
A choice: believe there is no God or higher power (abandoning a lifetime of faith) or embracing that the real answers aren't found in physics. Eventually, there would be a realization that physics is a window into the creative process of God, bringing together the dichotomy. The movie Contact did this type of examination very well (but a little different from what you're proposing - read the book for a surprise ending).
A death/near-death: Someone the physicist loves dies. Accept they are gone and move on (possibly being devastated by the loss), or seek solace in eternity and the idea of an afterlife. Alternatively, the MC has played it safe their whole life and still almost dies in a horrible accident (this can combine with the death of someone close). As they recover, they must reflect on their choices and helplessness in the face of fate.
A sign: Something dramatic happens that makes the MC question the truth of physics. Data inexplicably changes, but only they seem to know about it. They have an alien encounter and no one believes. Accept you're losing your mind or open it to a new and bigger possibility.

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