TITLE: moving up a consequence of PFA
QUESTION [8 upvotes]: The Proper Forcing Axiom (PFA) implies that every forcing which adds a subset of $\omega_1$ either adds a real or collapses $\omega_2$. Is it consistent that every forcing which adds a subset of $\omega_2$ either adds a subset of $\omega_1$ or collapses $\omega_3$?

REPLY [7 votes]: Yes, it is consistent. The following theorem is proved by Shelah and myself (our  paper  is not yet complete):

Theorem. Assume $\kappa$ is weakly compact and $\lambda > \kappa$ is 2-Mahlo. Then there is a generic extension in which $\kappa=\aleph_2, 2^{\aleph_1}=\aleph_3=\lambda$ and any forcing notion which adds new subset to $\aleph_2$,  collapses $\aleph_2$ or $\aleph_3.$

Unfortunately the proof is not so easy to state it here.
Note that by a new subset to $\aleph_2$ I mean a subset of $\aleph_2$ which is not in $V$, the ground model, but such that all its initial segments are in $V$.

Remark. It is evident that the above theorem gives the consistency of the requested question. If the forcing does not add subsets to $\aleph_1,$ then it adds new subsets to $\aleph_2$ so the theorem applies.


Added note: The paper is now available at Specializing trees and answer to a question of Williams.