Pistons don’t extend when redstone torches are placed on a block directly next to it.
Attachments
Comments 3

Thank you for your report! Unfortunately, we have closed this issue, as the mechanism shown in your attachment is working as intended.
In order for a piston to be activated by a block beside it, the block must be powered. You tried to do that with a redstone torch, but redstone torches only power solid blocks that are above them, not beside or below them.
For more information, you may wish to view the Redstone Torch article on the Minecraft Wiki.
Thank you for your report! Unfortunately, we have closed this issue, as the mechanism shown in your attachment is working as intended.
In order for a piston to be activated by a block beside it, the block must be powered. You tried to do that with a redstone torch, but redstone torches only power solid blocks that are above them, not beside or below them.
For more information, you may wish to view the Redstone Torch article on the Minecraft Wiki.