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The question I asked is how they know there is dark matter and dark energy if one has never been able to see or capture any of it?

Well, that's just it; they KNOW it's there because they can measure its influence on the universe's expansion rate. However, they can't see it. Therefore, it must be "dark."

"Well, that's just it; they KNOW it's there because they can measure its influence on the universe's expansion rate. However, they can't see it. Therefore, it must be "dark.""

From reading the article from the dark energy folks and others and listening to their story on TV (Science Channel) they added the dark energy to their equation so it would reflect gravity as they and the present laws of physics understand gravity. Some scientist and others do not believe in the dark energy theory and instead think that gravity does not conform to everything as believed. So at present it is a theory which may be proved true or not in the future. However it may be something entirely different that is causing the universe to expand at its present rate. Just as the big bang voided all the laws of physics as it expanded much, much, much faster that the speed of light in the beginning.