diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d5ba3e93..e0ca851b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 [![Build Status](https://app.travis-ci.com/CodeReclaimers/neat-python.svg?branch=master)](https://app.travis-ci.com/github/CodeReclaimers/neat-python)
 [![Coverage Status](https://coveralls.io/repos/CodeReclaimers/neat-python/badge.svg?branch=master&service=github)](https://coveralls.io/github/CodeReclaimers/neat-python?branch=master)
+[![Downloads](https://static.pepy.tech/personalized-badge/neat-python?period=total&units=international_system&left_color=grey&right_color=blue&left_text=Downloads)](https://pepy.tech/project/neat-python)
 
 ## About ##
 
@@ -23,9 +24,9 @@ The documentation is available on [Read The Docs](http://neat-python.readthedocs
 
 ## Citing ##
 
-Here are APA and Bibtex entries you can use to cite this project in a publication. The listed authors are the 
-maintainers of all iterations of the project up to this point.  If you have contributed and would like your name added 
-to the citation, please submit an issue or email alan@codereclaimers.com. 
+Here are APA and Bibtex entries you can use to cite this project in a publication. The listed authors are the originators
+and/or maintainers of all iterations of the project up to this point.  If you have contributed and would like your name added 
+to the citation, please submit an issue or email alan@codereclaimers.com.
 
 APA
 ```
diff --git a/neat/attributes.py b/neat/attributes.py
index 0853bbb7..5e5eef11 100644
--- a/neat/attributes.py
+++ b/neat/attributes.py
@@ -78,8 +78,11 @@ def mutate_value(self, value, config):
 
         return value
 
-    def validate(self, config): 
-        pass
+    def validate(self, config):
+        min_value = getattr(config, self.min_value_name)
+        max_value = getattr(config, self.max_value_name)
+        if max_value < min_value:
+            raise RuntimeError("Invalid min/max configuration for {self.name}")
 
 
 class IntegerAttribute(BaseAttribute):
@@ -121,7 +124,10 @@ def mutate_value(self, value, config):
         return value
 
     def validate(self, config):
-        pass
+        min_value = getattr(config, self.min_value_name)
+        max_value = getattr(config, self.max_value_name)
+        if max_value < min_value:
+            raise RuntimeError("Invalid min/max configuration for {self.name}")
 
 
 class BoolAttribute(BaseAttribute):
@@ -163,7 +169,9 @@ def mutate_value(self, value, config):
         return value
 
     def validate(self, config):
-        pass
+        default = str(getattr(config, self.default_name)).lower()
+        if default not in ('1', 'on', 'yes', 'true', '0', 'off', 'no', 'false', 'random', 'none'):
+            raise RuntimeError("Invalid default value for {self.name}")
 
 
 class StringAttribute(BaseAttribute):
@@ -200,6 +208,5 @@ def validate(self, config):
         if default not in ('none', 'random'):
             options = getattr(config, self.options_name)
             if default not in options:
-                raise RuntimeError(f'Invalid activation function name: {default}')
+                raise RuntimeError(f'Invalid initial value {default} for {self.name}')
             assert default in options
-
diff --git a/neat/nn/feed_forward.py b/neat/nn/feed_forward.py
index 6a5485b5..df8fc967 100644
--- a/neat/nn/feed_forward.py
+++ b/neat/nn/feed_forward.py
@@ -36,13 +36,11 @@ def create(genome, config):
         for layer in layers:
             for node in layer:
                 inputs = []
-                node_expr = [] # currently unused
                 for conn_key in connections:
                     inode, onode = conn_key
                     if onode == node:
                         cg = genome.connections[conn_key]
                         inputs.append((inode, cg.weight))
-                        node_expr.append("v[{}] * {:.7e}".format(inode, cg.weight))
 
                 ng = genome.nodes[node]
                 aggregation_function = config.genome_config.aggregation_function_defs.get(ng.aggregation)
diff --git a/tests/test_simple_run.py b/tests/test_simple_run.py
index c59659a6..4a291e46 100644
--- a/tests/test_simple_run.py
+++ b/tests/test_simple_run.py
@@ -271,22 +271,18 @@ def test_serial_bad_config():
 
 
 def test_serial_bad_configA():
-    """Test if bad_configurationA causes a RuntimeError on trying to create the population."""
-    # Load configuration.
+    """Test if bad_configurationA causes a RuntimeError on loading configuration."""
     local_dir = os.path.dirname(__file__)
     config_path = os.path.join(local_dir, 'bad_configurationA')
-    config = neat.Config(neat.DefaultGenome, neat.DefaultReproduction,
-                         neat.DefaultSpeciesSet, neat.DefaultStagnation,
-                         config_path)
 
     try:
-        # Create the population, which is the top-level object for a NEAT run.
-        p = neat.Population(config)
+        config = neat.Config(neat.DefaultGenome, neat.DefaultReproduction,
+                             neat.DefaultSpeciesSet, neat.DefaultStagnation,
+                             config_path)
     except RuntimeError:
         pass
     else:
-        raise Exception(
-            "Should have had a RuntimeError with bad_configurationA")
+        raise Exception("Should have had a RuntimeError with bad_configurationA")
 
 
 def test_serial_extinction_exception():